Evidence of meeting #131 for Canadian Heritage in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was hate.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Jamil Jivani Conservative Durham, ON
I don't think that's fast enough for Mr. Housefather. I hope you guys can have a conversation.
Liberal
Conservative
Jamil Jivani Conservative Durham, ON
Okay. We'll keep moving.
Does the minister support the government's Black justice strategy as part of the anti-racism strategy?
Conservative
Jamil Jivani Conservative Durham, ON
Thank you.
Are you familiar with some of the radical criminal justice policies that your government's Black justice strategy is considering at the moment?
Liberal
Kamal Khera Liberal Brampton West, ON
Madam Chair, I think it's important to recognize that the work we are leading, working alongside Black communities right across this country, is fundamentally something that we have heard from community members on the ground in terms of addressing systemic racism within our criminal justice system. It is important that we address it.
This is work that my colleague Minister Virani is leading. No decisions have been made yet around the strategy, but I know we'll be working alongside community members to make sure that communities—
Conservative
Jamil Jivani Conservative Durham, ON
Is the minister familiar with a document called “A Roadmap for Transformative Change”, which was released this summer?
Liberal
Kamal Khera Liberal Brampton West, ON
Madam Chair, this is work that my colleague Minister Virani is leading. We have very meaningful conversations on how to address systemic racism within our criminal justice system, which we know—
Conservative
Jamil Jivani Conservative Durham, ON
No, you're not familiar.
Your colleague, Minister Virani, described this document as “history-making” for the Black community and “an important milestone” for the Black community. It seems like something the anti-racism strategy leader may be familiar with, but it sounds like you're not.
Just to recap a couple of the—
Liberal
Liberal
Jennifer O'Connell Liberal Pickering—Uxbridge, ON
It's not appropriate for a committee member.... They may ask their questions, but suggesting things that have not been said into the record is inappropriate.
I would ask that Mr. Jivani stick to his thoughts and not try to speak on behalf of the minister. She's more than capable of doing that on her own. If he would like to just continue with his question, then committee can get back to it.
Conservative
Jamil Jivani Conservative Durham, ON
That's not a point of order, Madam Chair.
As a Black Canadian, I've been assured the anti-racism strategy is a whole-of-government approach. If my community is told by the Minister of Justice that something is “history-making” and “an important milestone” for Black people...the leader of the anti-racism strategy would be familiar with it. I think that's a fair question.
Nonetheless, some of the policies that are included in this include mass decarceration, reducing the number of incarcerated people by 30% over the next 10 years, decriminalizing a supply of 30-days' worth of hard drugs including cocaine, heroin and meth, and also defunding police departments by removing 25% of federal grants from eligibility to police organizations.
Conservative
Jamil Jivani Conservative Durham, ON
The question I have is, do you support these radical criminal justice policies that your government has published as part of the Black justice strategy?
Liberal
Kamal Khera Liberal Brampton West, ON
Madam Chair, I think it would only be a Conservative making a joke out of systemic racism. We have seen an overincarceration of Black and indigenous people—
Conservative
Jamil Jivani Conservative Durham, ON
This is not a joke. You want to flood our communities with drugs.
Liberal
Kamal Khera Liberal Brampton West, ON
—in the criminal justice system. To be making a joke about that it is disgraceful. I would expect better from people.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Order, please.
Mr. Jivani, allow the minister to answer the question, please.
Conservative
Jamil Jivani Conservative Durham, ON
Nobody's laughing, Madam Chair. They're flooding our communities with drugs. That's the problem.