SoVote

May/31/22 1:13:49 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am being told that I refuse to address the root causes of injustice, whereas I am suggesting that we take a positive approach, not a negative one. I am suggesting that we take an approach that will rally people around this diversity. I am suggesting that there be a set of incentives, including financial ones, to help ensure this extraordinary diversity is better represented. Discrimination and intimidation is out there now, with stickers on doors, calls, attempts to exclude people from faculties, research projects being impeded. I do not think this contributes to anything positive.

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Context: House Hansard - 78 - May/31/22

Mr. Yves Perron

May/31/22 5:23:19 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my esteemed colleague from the Green Party for his question and commend him for his excellent French. I absolutely understand that, and I thought it was clear in my speech. I acknowledge this reality. A 50-year-old white mean who says that he understands cannot truly understand since he has not experienced these difficulties. He should say that he can appreciate these difficulties. I am saying that we do need to take measures to make the ratios fairer and more equitable, to better reflect society. However, I do not think that discrimination and prohibiting people from applying for a job is the way to go about that. I think it needs to be done in other ways. We agree on almost everything. I simply do not want to fix one injustice by committing another. It will be more progressive.

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Context: House Hansard - 78 - May/31/22

Mr. Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, CPC)

May/31/22 5:26:09 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, these are such important issues we are discussing in the debate today. I often reflect on the words of Martin Luther King Jr., who said the ideal that we seek as a society is one in which people are judged not based on the colour of their skin, but on the content of their character. We have to recognize that there are historical and ongoing instances of injustice and discrimination that people face, while at the same time working toward an ideal in which people are seen fundamentally on the basis of the content of their character and what they offer so that we are not placing so much focus on issues of race and identity in our discussion that they overwhelm other points of discussion. I wonder if the member has thoughts on how we can address injustices while also moving toward the ideal that Martin Luther King Jr. described.

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Context: House Hansard - 78 - May/31/22

Ms. Ruby Sahota (Brampton North, Lib.)

May/31/22 5:37:33 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I enjoyed my colleague's speech, and I think a good point was raised at the end about an anonymous process. I think that works in some fields. We are not at a point where diversity inclusion targets are being met, and in many of the speeches, I have heard that because there were historical injustices, we should not be committing a reverse injustice. Well, I would argue that these injustices, with the lack of diversity in research institutions and universities, are not just historical injustices, but continue today. There still exists racial discrimination in the workforce. That is a reality and a fact in Canada. I have heard we need to do better, but without setting goals and targets and requiring institutions and corporations to meet them, I feel we will make backward progress. I want to know what the member feels about that. We will not make progress on inclusion and having more women in the workforce if we do not set targets for ourselves. I would like to hear what the member has to say.

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