Systemic racism and reconciliation: elections under the microscope

The anti-racist and decolonial fight is on everyone's lips. Since the death of Georges Floyd, that of Joyce Echaquan and the discovery of mass graves in residential schools, governments can no longer ignore these issues. As Canadians go to the polls on September 20, systemic racism and reconciliation are rising as an electoral issue.

Beyond intentions, what measures do elected officials propose to combat these issues that affect so many Canadians?

Some measures against systemic racism

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To combat systemic racism, The liberals want to further fund the Canadian Strategy to Combat Racism, which the outgoing government put in place in 2019 by investing $45 million. If re-elected, the Liberal Party proposes to invest an additional $93 million between 2022 and 2026. “We will build on the progress made over the last 6 years and increase investments in community-led anti-racism education initiatives and programs that are essential to the fight against hate and racism in local communities,” says the party. The Liberal Party is also proposing an investment of $50 million over 5 years to support media run by racialized people, $200 million for Black-led organizations and $30 million to support Black researchers.

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‍The NDP wishes to promote the collection of data based on ethnicity to improve the lives of racialized communities, particularly in terms of health, employment and police intervention. The party wants to address discrimination in employment based on ethnicity, and wants to address the resulting pay inequity through legislation. There is also talk of ensuring equitable and diverse hiring in the public service.The Green Party is the only federal party that wants to implement the recommendations of the report of the United Nations Panel of Experts on People of African Descent on its mission in Canada. They have signalled their intention to eradicate systemic discrimination in the federal public service and public institutions, in law enforcement and in services to immigrants and refugees.

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Without ever making any mention of systemic racism, The Bloc Québécois wishes to use anonymous resumes in its public service in order to combat discrimination in hiring.

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Nothing in the election platform Preservatives I don't mention racism.

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Police and prison violence

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The RCMP is in the sights of the parties while the Liberals, New Democrats, and Greens cite the discrimination that Black and Aboriginal people disproportionately experience at the hands of the police service. The outgoing government wants to initiate a reform through which the use of force, the training of agents, the intervention of social and community workers, disciplinary sanctions and the handling of complaints will be reviewed. For its part, the NPD is committed to ending police violence and identity checks.

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They want to review the budget allocated to the RCMP, their training and use of force techniques; investments would be directed to non-police interventions, such as mental health and addiction support services. The party wants to address the overrepresentation of Black and Indigenous people in the prison system. They promise to work together with Indigenous communities to review the criminal justice system and put in place an African Canadian Justice Strategy.

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Reforms will also be put in place to end systemic discrimination against Indigenous people in the justice system, with legislative reforms and funding for community healing and restorative justice programs.

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‍The greens want to review and limit the role of the RCMP as well as its funding. The party calls for the divestment of services for which the police are not suitable, and wants to end police street checks, identity checks, and arbitrary arrests and detentions. The party calls for decolonization, decriminalization and extrication by strengthening laws in this regard. They are calling for criminal justice reform and a review of the prison system, where Indigenous and Black citizens are overrepresented, to develop a restorative justice model. These issues are not mentioned in the electoral platform. Preservatives And of the Bloc Québécois.

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Fight against hate

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With regard to the fight against hate, The Bloc Québécois And the Conservative Party do not have a plan in this regard. The platform of the Greens, which is not encrypted, includes a plan to combat hate based on Identity. In doing so, they want to condemn extremist ideologies that encourage violence and fund the collection of data on the spread of hate, and support research and advocacy groups that seek to combat online hate and offline incidents. For its part, The NDP also proposes a pan-Canadian action plan to dismantle far-right organizations and to establish a working group to combat online hate. The party wants to set standards for listing hate crimes as well as their judicial treatment. It is also proposed to create a working group to combat online hate as well as more mental health resources for victims of hate crimes. “The powers of the CRTC could also be strengthened to actively fight against this harmful phenomenon” the New Democrats tell us by email.

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Only the Liberal Party is moving forward with the National Action Plan to Combat Hate, which will be in place by 2022. It is indicated that this plan will include recommendations from the Summit against Islamophobia and the Summit against Antisemitism. At the Islamophobia Summit, a recommendation called for the creation of a fund for people who lost their jobs because of Law 21. Questioned to this effect at a press conference, Justin Trudeau did not indicate whether he would implement this recommendation. The Liberal agenda also includes measures to combat hate crimes in Canada, and mentions possible changes to the Criminal Code, training for public safety organizations, and the prevention of radicalization to violence. $10 million would also be invested in a National Fund to Support Survivors of Hate Crime. “I think all platforms have shortcomings,” believes Sanaa Ali-Mohammed, who took part at the time Summit on Islamophobia held last July. Above all, she deplored the fact that the problem had been relegated to the level of interpersonal, not structural, discrimination.

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“It is pervasive in most institutions of Canadian society,” says the Diversity Institute researcher. “One of the ways in which we see Islamophobia manifest itself in a really effective way is in fact in employment and education, where it has a significant impact on people's ability to earn an income and access socio-economic progress and well-being, but this is not explicitly recognized anywhere,” says Ms. Ali-si. Mohammed.

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Reconciliation as an electoral promise

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The Liberals, the NDP and the Greens have strategies in terms of justice for racialized communities. These parties, as well as the Bloc Québécois and the Conservatives, present a component on reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

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Sipi Flamand, vice-leader of the Atikamekw of Manawan. Despite everything, the filmmaker wants us to go beyond awareness. “The federal government has recognized systemic racism, but I think they need to go much further so that the recognition is not only superficial, but that concrete actions are taken,” he adds. In the 2015 federal election, the Liberal Party of Canada addressed reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. “It was another auspicious moment for Indigenous communities. According to my analysis, the Liberal Party did not achieve its goals,” believes Mr. Flamand, six years later. In particular, he denounces the delays in the treatment of drinking water, where 50 advisories are still slow to be lifted in Quebec communities. All parties have indicated that they want to continue their efforts to restore access to drinking water as soon as possible.

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Joyce's principle: the alarm bell for health and rights In passing, Sipi Flamand highlights the efforts made with the bill on the health of indigenous peoples, as well as the discussions on the Joyce Principle, a brief submitted by the Atikamekw Council of Manawan and the Council of the Atikamekw Nation, which defends the rights of Indigenous peoples in Quebec and Canada in terms of health and social services. This principle requires that all Indigenous peoples have an equal right to the best possible physical and mental health care, including the right to access traditional medicines.

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In its program, the Liberal Party indicates that he wants to fully implement the Joyce Principle and wants to legislate to promote health systems without racism and discrimination. “Jagmeet Singh intends to implement the Joyce Principle from the first days of his government.”, tells us the press secretary of the NPD, Nina Amrov. The party wants to make it “the foundation of a new approach to fighting systemic racism in health.” Questioned for this purpose, the Bloc Québecois indicates that they support the recommendations in the brief, without indicating that they would apply the principle.

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The Party Vert does not mention the Joyce Principle in its platform. “The Green Party is in favor of the application of the Joyce Principle, of the right to self-determination of peoples” tells us the French-speaking spokesperson of the party, Clément Badra. Conservatives don't address the Joyce Principle on their platforms and haven't answered our questions about it.

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The Vice Chief Atikamekw wants the changes to take place just as much elsewhere as in health. According to him, a good starting point is Bill C-15, introduced by the outgoing Liberal government, which aims to harmonize Canadian laws with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). “I think that with this law, we can start to bring about changes in policies and administrative relationships,” explains Mr. Flamand. The Liberal Party, Green Party, and NDP are committed to implementing UNDRIP by working jointly with Indigenous communities. The Bloc Québécois will ensure that it is implemented in its jurisdictions, and the Conservatives are only talking about respecting Indigenous rights related to the economic benefits arising from the exploitation of their territories, as stipulated by the UNDRIP. The next step, according to the Vice Chief? Issues concerning territories and recognition in relation to aboriginal rights, an issue that affects all Aboriginal peoples.

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“The Government of Canada needs to create a commission on treaties and comprehensive and specific negotiations with Indigenous peoples,” he said. To date, only the Green Party has expressed a desire to honor treaties and land claims and to create legislation in this regard. In addition, Mr. Flamand hopes that the electoral promises can be fulfilled, and that the government in power shows the will to get along and develop relationships with indigenous communities once elected. “Indigenous peoples mobilized to go to the polls, in particular, several young people. This means that Aboriginal people are interested in politics but want to have their fair share in Canadian politics.”

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Aboriginal residential schools

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The New Democratic Party provides funding for the search for burial sites for former residential schools. Their budget proposes $10 million that will be allocated to the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, but does not mention any specific funds dedicated to the search for burial sites. Their platform also mentions the appointment of a special prosecutor to prosecute those responsible for harms and the coverage of costs for community healing solutions.

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The Bloc Québécois wants to put in place the necessary measures to access church archives, and ensure funding for programs to ensure the healing of victims, in particular, the Health Support Program.

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The Liberal Party presents in its platform an investment of $598 million to implement a strategy aimed at First Nations and their mental health and well-being. Additional funding of $83 million would be provided to locate the burials, allowing the communities of origin to bury their own and carry out the necessary ceremonies. The party proposes the creation of the National Center for Truth and Reconciliation and is committed to providing $100 million for community initiatives that aim to transform former residential schools into commemorative sites. In honor of the survivors, the Liberals proposed to erect a national monument in Ottawa.

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The Conservative Party also wants to erect a national monument in Ottawa. In addition, their platform also proposes the development of a plan that would allow the implementation of calls to action 71 to 76 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of the Missing Children and Burial Information section. These calls include funding the National Center for Truth and Reconciliation, informing affected families of the location of their children, and developing strategies for maintaining Indigenous cemeteries. Conservatives talk about funding an investigation into residential schools in Canada and deploying resources and honoring those discovered during the investigation.

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The Green Party talks about funding Aboriginal healing centres to address the trauma caused by residential schools, about recognition and excuses, not to mention searches.

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Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

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The New Democratic Party offers a comprehensive plan to combat violence against Indigenous women, girls, and LGBTQL2S+ people. This plan mentions resources such as access to programs, shelters, and transitional housing that are adapted to the cultural realities of Indigenous women, girls, and LGBTQL2S+ people. As for him, The Green Party plans to implement all the calls for justice and all the recommendations of the final report of the Commission of Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. In addition, it plans to support the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (FADA).

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The Conservative Party plans to develop, in collaboration with Indigenous groups, a National Action Plan to address violence against Indigenous women and girls.

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The Liberal Party plans to release the Federal Pathway to End Violence Against Women, Girls, and Individuals 2ELGBTQQIA+ missing and murdered aboriginal people, the Government of Canada's contribution to the National Action Plan. The party is also committed to creating a permanent federal-provincial-territorial table on missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people in order to facilitate and coordinate this work and talks about accelerating the work proposed in the 2021 National Action Plan that addresses these issues.

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The Bloc Québécois does not provide for any measures in this regard.

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Indian Act

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The Green Party is committed to establishing a transition process led by Indigenous leaders to establish a transition process that would repeal the current Indian Act which is based on the doctrine of free, prior and informed consent.

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The Liberal Party also agrees by pledging to continue to support processes led by indigenous peoples that aim to abandon this law. As for him, The Bloc Québécois goes further and is committed to rendering this law ineffective by ensuring that the federal government fully implements the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

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The New Democratic PartyHe plans to ensure full gender equality by giving Aboriginal women and their children the right to register in the Indian Register, which is currently not possible.

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‍The Conservative Party makes no mention of this issue on its platform.