Mr. Chair, I am pleased to have this opportunity to speak about the government program that means a great deal to many Canadians and is very important to Canadian society: the multiculturalism program.
Canada is known around the world as a land where people of many cultures and backgrounds live together in harmony. Canadians claim more than 200 ethnic backgrounds. Our largest cities rank among the most multicultural on the globe. Nearly 50% of the citizens in the city of Toronto were born outside of Canada. In my riding of Davenport, over 50% of the people were born outside the country.
I take great pleasure in knowing as of last week that this particular House is also unique, with many members born outside of this country. Last week I had the opportunity to find out that one of our members, the member for Charleswood St. James—Assiniboia, was actually born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. That is a great example of the multiculturalism of this country.
At a time when religious and racial tensions are wreaking havoc in various regions around the world, we live to a great extent in peace and harmony.
Immigration has now outpaced the natural birthrate and accounts for 52% of the overall population growth. This is what it should be. As is well known, we need immigrants to fill our future labour needs.
Canada has always been characterized by a diverse ethno-racial, ethnocultural, religious and linguistic heritage. The first people of Canada, as we all know, are not homogenous groups but rather many nations, each rooted in their own traditions, languages and practices.
Through the centuries there came the French and the English and wave upon wave of immigrants from every point of the globe, who created the multicultural Canada we enjoy today.
In recognition of who we are as Canadians, a unique multicultural mix within a bilingual society, the Government of Canada, led by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, made a formal commitment to multiculturalism in 1971 with the introduction of the world's first national multicultural policy.
In partnership with other departments of government, with institutions such as the police forces and other services, and with citizens' groups and individuals, the multiculturalism program works to maintain and build upon our strong and cohesive society.
The fact remains that we have a strong legal framework. The fact also remains that the constitutional measures and the legislation we have are not enough to assure equal opportunity in a diverse society. To contribute fully and to achieve this full potential, all peoples must have a voice in society.
In some cases this requires programs to help equip communities, organizations and individuals with the skills and tools they need to advance their interests. Therefore, the priorities of multicultural programs are to combat racism and discrimination, promote cross-cultural understanding and a sense of shared citizenship, and help ensure that Canadian institutions and Canadian workplaces are representative of the face of Canadian society.
The multiculturalism program provides direct support to organizations and communities to carry out these priorities. It also has a close involvement in initiatives that enrich our culture, such as Black History Month, Asian Heritage Month and Canadian Multiculturalism Day. These commemorations serve as key focal points for a huge range of activities at the local, provincial and national levels.
In recent years the program has worked extensively with police services across the country to ensure that the cultural, social, racial, ethnic, religious and linguistic diversity of our citizens is respected.
A national-scale example is a project called the Law Enforcement Aboriginal and Diversity Network. This partnership fills an urgent need for a coordinated approach by policing agencies to better serve aboriginal and diverse ethnic, racial and religious communities.
Our approach challenges public institutions such as the police services, the education system and the health care system to ensure that they respect the cultural, social, racial, ethnic, religious and linguistic diversity of our society.
Researchers are now examining the results of the ethnic diversity survey, a partnership between the multiculturalism program and Statistics Canada. This groundbreaking survey is helping us recognize as never before trends and issues related to Canada's diverse populace.
The program also works hard to encourage federal departments to be a model in the hiring, retention and promotion of employees of all backgrounds. Through its national racism “Stop It!” campaign every March, it is getting the message out among young people that discrimination and racism are unacceptable.
There are many more programs too numerous to list right now, but I have tried to give a cross-section of them to present a picture of the depth and breadth of the work of the multiculturalism program.
Canadians treasure our reputation as a country where individuals are respected, but like everything of value, our Canadian models of multiculturalism must be fostered if Canadian society is to mature and thrive. Multiculturalism fosters the values of understanding and respect, encourages a common sense of identity and ensures the right to full social, political and economic access for all Canadians.
Ethnocultural groups are encouraged to nurture and preserve their traditions with our goal being not assimilation but integration, based on the celebration of and the respect for differences.
Operating within the context of two official languages and recognizing the special identity of the first nations people, multiculturalism is grounded in civility and mutual respect, values which as Canadians we all proudly share.
In a country where 13% of the population is made up visible minorities, our diversity is the hallmark of the Canadian identity. It is a source of economic and social strength and it is a success story. Pierre Trudeau once said:
A policy of multiculturalism within a bilingual framework is basically the conscious support of individual freedom of choice. We are free to be ourselves. But this cannot be left to chance. It must be fostered and pursued actively. If freedom of choice is in danger for some ethnic groups, it is in danger for all.
That is the work of all Canadians. It is also the work of the multiculturalism program. It is a program that respects in many ways the voices and interests of ethno-racial and ethnocultural groups within the federal government.
How successful is multiculturalism? It is one of those things that we perhaps tend to take for granted, but it received an important endorsement from the United Nations last summer when its latest human development index was released. The accompanying report suggests that multiculturalism is the key to building a free and equitable society and credits Canada as being the first country in the world to have a formal multicultural policy. The report also provides the best practices that governments should undertake to achieve cultural liberty in their societies.
Many of the types of policies, programs and services recommended are already being provided to Canadians through Canada's multiculturalism policy and programs, but like all societies the Canadian society is a work in progress. Despite our best efforts, some Canadians do face discrimination and hate. We have yet to eradicate racism. We all know it exists, yet we must all remain committed to stamping it out.
Therefore, I would like to ask the minister responsible for multiculturalism what he plans to do to combat racism. Is the status quo good enough or does he plan to do more?