Premier John Horgan and Rachna Singh, Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives, have issued the following statement marking the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination:
“On the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, we reaffirm our commitment to stand together against racism and continue our work to make British Columbia more welcoming, just and equitable for everyone.
“The last year has shown we must do more to address systemic discrimination and hatred in this province. Through COVID-19, we’ve seen a rise in anti-Asian and anti-Indigenous racism, and a worldwide focus on anti-Black racism through the Black Lives Matter movement.
“As a government, we are committed to a future where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their race or the colour of their skin. We’ve already made progress towards this goal by re-establishing the Human Rights Commission and work is underway to introduce B.C.’s first anti-racism act.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed deeply troubling and long-standing inequalities in British Columbia and around the world. We are starting engagement on race-based data collection in the coming months to identify where gaps and barriers exist, so we can provide better services for people and communities. We are also accepting submissions from the public as we continue our review of the Police Act.
“Our recovery plan expands Resilience BC, a provincial anti-racism network supporting community projects focused on addressing racism and hate throughout the province. We are also taking action to address systemic racism in the health-care system.
“We know there’s more to do and the issue of racism will not be solved by these actions alone. Today, and every day, we must stand firm in our commitment for equality and justice.”
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