Indigenous public servants pursue class-action lawsuit against feds for harassment, discrimination in workplace
Systemic racism in federal Indigenous departments and agencies has led to human rights and Charter violations, allege two First Nations public servants—one current, one former—pursuing a multi-million-dollar class-action lawsuit against the federal government. A statement of claim—the opening salvo for a possible class-action suit—outlining the experiences of lead plaintiffs Yvette Zentner and Letitia Wells was […]
Canada isn’t ready for what comes next
OTTAWA—We’re coming down the homestretch of this god-awful election and evidently the PPC aren’t the only ones with white male rage; Erin O’Toole and Justin Trudeau have turned particularly nasty, as both the gloves and the masks come off. This election has been particularly silent on intersectional feminist issues. There has been little to no […]
Election or no, respect still missing in Canadian politics
OTTAWA—Let’s have an election! Why, asked the people? No good reason, he said, just because I want a majority! The void of reason to blow hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ money in an election appears to have created some anger in the people. If we really had to debate some issues in an election and […]
White male rage always gets a pass
OTTAWA—White men have a collective problem of violence and they need to take some personal responsibility and pull themselves up by their bootstraps. On Aug. 27, during the prime minister’s campaign stop in Bolton, Ont., the CBC reported, “dozens of angry protestors that outnumbered Liberal supporters began chanting obscenities before Mr. Trudeau could make his […]
Much to be desired in party outreach to marginalized, minority communities this election, say advocates
Representation in politics matters, and from policies announced to the party candidates nominated, many diversity advocates who recently spoke with The Hill Times say it’s still too early to tell which party is doing the best to reach out to marginalized and minority communities this election, but they know what they want to see. While […]
Politicos worry snap election, short campaign a barrier to nominating women in key ridings
With the snap election announced in August, political insiders and analysts say they’re worried the pandemic and short campaign period may deter women from raising their hands to run this year and prevent parties from putting women in ridings where they have a chance. “I think what’s going to end up happening is you’re going […]
Let’s not go back to the way we engaged with government pre-pandemic
A child-care consultation earlier this year simultaneously included stakeholders from Yellowknife, Winnipeg and Toronto. Late last year, 36 youth held 25 meetings with MPs across eight provinces and territories to talk about how COVID is impacting their health, employment, and communities. Gender equity advocates from across the country spoke with Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland about […]
Emancipation Day a missed opportunity for action on anti-Black racism
The first federally recognized Emancipation Day in Canada took place on Aug. 1. It commemorated the date in 1834 that the Slavery Abolition Act came into effect across the British Empire. The act freed more than 800,000 enslaved Africans in the Caribbean and South Africa, as well as thousands in what would later become Canada. […]
Normalizing surgeries on intersex infants amounts to torture, says new legal challenge, but ministers won’t commit to change
A recently launched court challenge could overturn laws that allow non-consensual surgeries on intersex infants, but while Justice Minister David Lametti has acknowledged concerns, government ministers were mum on where specifically they fall on this issue. On June 15, EGALE Canada, a national LGBTQI2S organization, filed an application with the Ontario Superior Court to “challenge […]
Government-run diversity challenge ‘hypocritical’ until public service meets private sector targets: experts
A challenge from the government meant to spur diversity in the private sector is odds with the feds’ own record on diversity in the public service and is lacking accountability measures to ensure results, say industry experts. The 50-30 Challenge, originally launched by Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada in December 2020, asks Canadian companies, non-profits, […]
