Liberal MLAs say province is undermining 2-year-old office on anti-racism

Nova Scotia Liberal MLAs took advantage of a committee meeting Wednesday to question the Houston government's recent decision to downgrade the Office of Equity and Anti-Racism from a standalone entity to part of the Department of Justice, suggesting the move would diminish the office's work and effectiveness.

Brendan Maguire, a Liberal member of the public accounts committee, asked Deputy Justice Minister Candace Thomas for the reason behind the change, which took place May 12.

"What was the need to take that and dismantle it as a standalone department, into a department ... that historically a lot of people don't have a lot of faith in?" said Maguire. "The department existed only for a quick moment in time, then the government came in and said, 'You know what, this is not working on it's own.'"

Thomas, who assumed responsibility for the office just weeks ago, told the committee she wasn't part of that discussion.

"It would be more appropriate to ask that question of government," she said. "As deputy minister, I would not have been a party to the rationale and the reasoning for making an organizational change."

She said she first learned of the change from Laura Lee Langley, deputy minister to the premier and head of the Nova Scotia Public Service.

Thomas told the committee that the mandate and budget of the two-year-old office remain intact, and its work continues.

"The Office of Equity and Anti-Racism has not been dismantled," she said. "And very proudly, we can say that there is a great degree of alignment with the mandate and the work of the Department of Justice and the Office of Equity and Anti-Racism.

 "All of that great work happening, the people, the team who were part of that work are still there."

Tony Ince, a Liberal who is one of only three Black MLAs in the House, suggested the Justice Department was ill-suited to oversee the work of the office because the department and the justice system it oversees, "both have racism ingrained within the institution."

Speaking to reporters outside the meeting, Ince noted the change also took place without any consultation with the communities most affected by racism and most involved with equity issues.

"That concerns me," he said. "It concern me, because as a person of African descent, that's what I've gone through many times in my life.

"You're moving forward, and then all of a sudden there's five steps back and you've got to restart."

After the meeting, Thomas defended the decision, calling it "a natural fit."

"Much of the work that [the Justice Department does] is dealing with anti-racism, anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism, building an African Nova Scotian justice strategy," she said.

"We've funded almost totally the African Nova Scotian Justice Institute. So we are really well versed in understanding human rights, equity, fairness within the Department of Justice."

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.

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