February 17th, 2016

NDP urges Premier to include Anti-Racism Directorate in provincial budget

Today Teresa Armstrong, NDP Citizenship and Immigration critic, called on Premier Wynne to include the newly announced Anti-Racism Directorate in the upcoming provincial budget.

“Community groups have worked hard to make this happen.  NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and members have—and will continue to—champion an Ontario where no one is left behind and everyone can share in the opportunities we create,” Armstrong said.  “But to make change a reality, there must be a real commitment. There needs to be proper funding and staffing and a clear mandate for this Directorate.

“Premier, will the government commit to attaching real numbers to the Anti-Racism Directorate in next week’s budget?”

After a decade of advocacy by community groups and the Ontario NDP’s recent push to get this done, the provincial government finally announced the creation of an Anti-Racism Directorate yesterday

“Racism continues to be a persistent reality for many Ontarians. Thousands have joined the NDP’s call to take action against racism and build a more inclusive Ontario,” Armstrong said.  “Yesterday’s announcement was an important step forward in addressing systemic racism in the province.  Now, the government must take it one step further and make a firm commitment to the Directorate.

“Premier, what can Ontarians expect to see in next week’s budget?”

Andrea Horwath and the Ontario NDP launched a campaign in mid-December in 2015 calling for the creation of a legislative anti-racism office.  Since the launch, over 7,000 Ontarians have signed petitions, both online and off, calling for the establishment of an Ontario Anti-Racism Secretariat. The call for the establishment of an anti-racism office in Ontario has been advocated by the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians (CASSA), and the Colour of Poverty campaign, which combined represent over 100 community organizations.