Canadian Heritage Committee on Sept. 18th, 2017

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

Thank you very much, Ms. Kwan, for that question and for recognizing the seriousness of this issue that we are talking about today.

When it comes to understanding what issues Canadians face, what better way to understand these issues than to actually go to Canadians themselves to talk about these issues and to have conversations with them to try to understand what impact systemic racism and religious discrimination may have on them?

I remember reading an article in The Globe and Mail that suggested that young, male Chinese Canadians have a harder time getting employment as opposed to their non-Chinese counterparts. It was suggested in that article that it is because of that name, because of the name of person that this type of discrimination occurs. It's those kinds of incidents. When we have the data, when we are able to collect the data, I think that we will be better able to understand the totality of what systemic racism and religious discrimination looks like in Canada. This is why it was one of my recommendations that we find good ways to collect that data and to contextualize hate crime reports; it will allow us to understand what the communities need. Like I said, to really understand, we have to go to Canadians and listen to what they have to say.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

There's no question that we need to collect data. I would agree with that. I think that's one aspect of it, although not the only aspect.

Just on the question around data, of course, I've come across data that indicates, for example, that for people who come here, who are racialized immigrants, if you will, the economic impact for them is quite significant. In fact, even as of today, from my understanding, immigrants make less than their counterparts, male or female. We still have some ways to go to equalize that. There are some issues around institutionalized discrimination, if you will, or racism, embedded within our system, which has created this outcome.

Would you agree, then, that part of the work of this committee, in terms of recommendations to government to take action on this, is also to address those kinds of institutionalized aspects in impacting a very important component for people of colour, that being their financial opportunities?

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

You raise a great point, Ms. Kwan. I myself am a first-generation immigrant, and I watched my parents go through that struggle. As a member of Parliament, I am approached by many newcomers who are also having a difficult time finding employment, for example, or having culture shock, or really integrating themselves in Canadian society. I know that our federal government has been doing a lot to help those newcomers. We are a country that values our diversity, and we really show it to be our strength. There are programs that help those newcomers, but we can always do more.

In terms of what you talk about, understanding other ways to collect that data, I really think there will be great experts who will come before this committee to help advise the committee on how we can collect that data and how we can continue to work towards tackling systemic racism and religious discrimination.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

I'm sorry, perhaps I'm not explaining myself. I'm talking about beyond collecting data. I'm talking about action that needs to be taken, about action that needs to address the socio-economic discrimination that exists for people from the immigrant community, people of colour.

To that end, we have all heard these stories. For example, people with credentials come from a different country and their credentials are not recognized. We need to break down the systemic barriers with respect to that so that their credentials are recognized and they can be employed in their field, which they have already spent a lot of time on.

That would be part of, I would hope, the study and the recommendations that are required. Would you agree with that, yes or no?

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

I think it's up to the committee to decide on which direction the committee should go—

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Sorry, I'm just going to interrupt. Do you not have an opinion on that? Do you not think that this is part of this? This is your motion we are studying. Do you not think this is an important part of the work that we should be undertaking?

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

Ms. Kwan, the objective of the motion was to bring forward this study. It is upon this committee as a whole to take that unified approach to study the issue, to work with each other to find those recommendations that will assist us as policy-makers to work together and to build those bridges amongst Canadians.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

There's no doubt that we will work with a unified approach. I fully hope that and anticipate that, but I was hoping to get an opinion from you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you.

I now go to the Liberals.

Darrell Samson, you have seven minutes.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you very much for being here and for bringing forward this motion. I think it's extremely important. Systemic racism is evident. We need to be talking about it, and this is one way. When you talk about these issues, you bring forward data. You do needs assessments, and then solutions should come forward so that we can do better, which is important.

I don't want to take too much time, because I'd like to leave time for a question from Madam May here, and maybe my colleague as well. Just very quickly, since the passing of the motion, Parliament and the media have been focusing on Islamophobia and the combatting of anti-Muslim sentiments. Is the focus much greater than that for you? Perhaps you can quickly explain.

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

Most definitely, Mr. Samson. The focus of the motion, the intention of the motion, was all along to look at all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination in Canada, to see how we can build bridges amongst communities, how we can build on those partnerships between our policy-makers, our civil society grassroots organizations, and Canadians at large, and how we can strengthen those ties.

Islamophobia was used as an example, but it is not the content of the whole motion. The motion is really now the study, I hope, and this committee will take charge...to be inclusive, to include all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination, and to hear from all communities that are impacted.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

I am extremely happy to hear you say that, because we need to be focusing on all those issues. I represent a large number of black African Nova Scotians, who have had a very tough time for a very long time. Systemic discrimination has been evident and still is today. How important do you feel it is to combat anti-black racism and the rise of white supremacy?

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

It is very important. As I said earlier, it's really about working with those communities that are impacted. I believe I quoted over 200 incidents across Canada reported by Statistics Canada that have black Canadians as targets for hate crimes. I think this is something that you, as a committee, should take upon yourselves. I hope that this community specifically will also be included in the study as a whole.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

This is very important. I thank you once again for that.

Ms. May, maybe you want to ask a question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Darrell, you have so kindly decided to share your time with Ms. May and Mr. Virani.

Ms. May, I don't know how much you can share, because you have only four minutes left, but go ahead.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll be very brief, and I'd love to share the time with my friend Mr. Virani.

It's very generous of you, Darrell. Thank you.

I have never seen such fomented anger, concern, and misconceptions about any motion before Parliament as applied to motion 103. I just want to put to you some of the things. I have wonderful constituents, good-hearted, nice people, who sent me emails asking whether these things were true, and how I could vote for motion 103. Since I voted for it, I would like to put to you, as the author, whether you agree with me that none of these things could possibly happen due to motion 103. I put to you that I have told my constituents that there is no way motion 103 is going to limit free speech, that there is no way motion 103 is going to bring in sharia law to Canada, and that there is no way motion 103 is going to place Islam at a more protected status than other religions. If you want to comment on it, I would appreciate your view on whether there is any way motion 103 could be used in these fashions.

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

You're right. There are a lot of misconceptions, but we have to look forward. We have to look at what this study will do, which is to give people the ability to speak out where they may not have been able to speak out before. There is no legislation, from my end, that is going to come out of this. It is really up to the committee to decide which way to go. My only recommendation to the committee, as I outlined before, is to work together, collect that data, find ways to collect that data, and tackle this issue as a whole.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

With my final, brief comment, I just want to associate myself with everything my friend Jenny Kwan said. We are living in a time when, to my horror, white supremacy is being normalized as something that people identify with, such as the young naval officers who showed up at the Mi'kmaq protest in Halifax. These are things for which I hope this committee can find ways to recommend action. We are a society that has traditionally, at least in our recent history, not always.... We've had episodes of anti-Semitism and anti-Asian laws, regulations, and rules that go way back, but we need to take a firm stand and take action that will eliminate, to the greatest extent possible, racism and religious discrimination in this country. I thank you for bringing your motion forward.

Thank you for the time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you.

I think we have one minutes and 30 seconds for Arif.

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Thank you, Ms. Khalid, for your courage in bringing this motion forward and for testifying here today.

Building on Ms. May's question, I've had a lot of people come to me and ask, “Are you chilling my ability to raise a legitimate question about a faith?” I've said to them, no. One can openly question whether we should have female priests, as a questioning of the Catholic faith, for example. One should be able to legitimately debate aspects of the dietary restrictions on Muslims, for example. But Islamophobia, to me, means uttering death threats, assaulting, hatred, threats of violence towards people, and vandalism of their places of worship. I just want you to comment on that, and how you've responded to that kind of criticism in terms of how you see Islamophobia, because, to me, it has never been a complicated term.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Ms. Khalid, you have 20 seconds in which to make that comment.

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

I look forward to how this committee tackles that issue.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Now we go to the second round, but given that Ms. Khalid has until five o'clock, we only have seven minutes. This is supposed to be a five-minute round, so as the chair, I am going to make it a three-minute round. I'm going to have Mr. Sweet from the Conservatives next, then Mr. Vandal from the Liberals. Three minutes, please.

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Point of order, Madam Chair. I'd just like to raise the point that we didn't start until almost 4:15, so I'm just wondering if we're going to extend this session so that we get the full hour with this witness.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

We'll have another 15 minutes, then. We'll start with Mr. Sweet.