Public bodies targeted in B.C. racism bill

The British Columbia government tabled legislation on Thursday that’s designed to hold public bodies accountable for addressing systemic racism in policy and programs, the province’s attorney general said.

Niki Sharma said the proposed law would cover provincial ministries, agencies, health-care and social service providers, and require the development of a public action plan using data the government has collected on systemic racism.

She said it would give her ministry the power to issue compliance orders if it finds a lack of response to the action items in the plan.

Before tabling the bill, Sharma said she sometimes thinks of the politicians who have come before her in the legislature, who passed laws designed to hurt people based on the colour of their skin.

“The power that was wielded in that place, that was directed toward racialized people in this province, you just can’t even imagine the generations of pain and trauma and impact that that’s had,” she said. “The government can change that.”

Sharma said the province will establish an anti-racism committee to help guide the development of the action plan by June 1, 2026, and develop standards and targets. The legislation also requires public bodies to develop and implement a training curriculum on Indigenous history, set targets for the recruitment and retention of Indigenous and racialized people, and regularly assess their policies and programs.

Years of breaking people’s trust can make them afraid to engage with the government because of the colour of their skin, Sharma said.