Calls for racial justice ring out in Commons
Calls to turn anger into action rang out in the House of Commons on Tuesday as politicians embraced pleas to stamp out discrimination in Canada — though outside the House, they disagreed on how deeply the problem is seated.
One by one, party leaders acknowledged the racism tearing apart the United States is also present in the daily lives of many Canadians and must be addressed with deeds as well as words.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said people are fed up with empty rhetoric.
“How many more people need to die before there is action? How many more speeches will be made? How many more protests need to happen before something is done?” Singh asked in the House.
“Government after government prefer lip service to concrete action. When it’s time to take action, they don’t have the courage to do so or the desire to do so.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged the last thing many people wanted to hear was another speech on racism from a white politician.
“I’m here because I want you to know that our government is listening. We hear your calls for justice, equality and accountability. We acknowledge your frustration, your anger, your heartbreak.”
The comments followed days of demonstrations and violence in many U.S. cities after a video showed Minneapolis police killing a black man, George Floyd.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford played down the notion
Canada is struggling with the sort of racism found in the U.S.
“They have their issues in the U.S. and they have to fix their issues, but it’s like night and day comparing Canada and the U.S.”
Bloc Quebecois Leader YvesFrancois Blanchet said the first step should “be to show our solidarity and friendship.”
And he said Canada could also quickly process applications from black people and other minorities from abroad seeking asylum.
“We have the power and the duty to do so. Let’s do it right away. Thus, we’ll be able to put our words into action, and this will make us more credible.”
Blanchet resists the idea that federal, provincial or municipal governments are racist, or that we are all drawn into systemic discrimination today.
He compared that discussion to doing politics at a funeral, however, and said this is a time for expressing solidarity.
In his own news conference, Trudeau was asked about the protests in the U.S. and President Donald Trump’s talk of deploying the military to stop unrest.
He paused a full 20 seconds, lips pursed, jaw working, before saying that despite watching the United States with “horror and consternation,” Canadians must be aware of the challenges facing black Canadians and other minorities and take steps to address them.