Opposition MLAs say new equity and anti-racism strategy doesn't go far enough

To Liberal MLA Ali Duale, progress addressing racism and advancing equity within the Nova Scotia government is not happening as fast as it should.

"I do feel every time we take one step forward, we take two steps backward," he said in a recent interview.

"I'm really, really disappointed and I don't see any progress that is taking place in this file."

Duale made headlines during the fall sitting of the legislature in 2021, when he left his seat to protest the government's refusal to pass an anti-racism bill advanced by his caucus. He eventually returned when the Tory government said it had a similar bill in the works and would convene an all-party committee to consult on the legislation and a corresponding anti-racism strategy.

The Act to Dismantle Racism and Hate passed with all-party support last year, despite concerns voiced at the time by MLAs from underrepresented communities.

Last month, the government released the equity and anti-racism strategy. But opposition MLAs, including Duale, say they are underwhelmed again by the final product. It lacks the kind of hard targets and timelines they say are required to measure progress.

"It's really disappointing that this government continues to talk about this as, you know, a trend-setting piece of legislation and we're the first, but yet we're not doing enough to make sure it's impactful," said New Democrat MLA Suzy Hansen.

Among other things, Hansen said she and her caucus wanted to see legislated commitments to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations that have provincial implications. She also wants the government to commit to examining reparations for African Nova Scotians.

"We didn't ask for much and none of it is in the strategy."

According to the document, the strategy is supposed to address systemic hate, inequity and racism in the public sector. It was produced following consultation with more than 1,200 people and 70 different groups.

• Read the Equity and Anti-Racism Strategy

Among other things, it calls for all new provincial government legislation, policies and regulations to include an equity and anti-racism impact assessment. Existing legislation will also be examined for systemic barriers, although there is no timeline or criteria yet for how that will happen.

The strategy also calls for developing a plan through the province's Office of Equity and Anti-Racism to standardize race-based data. The Justice Department will work with the Human Rights Commission to address concerns about the way the Criminal Code treats hate-motivated crimes and how cases are handled through the commission when they don't meet a criminal threshold.

Municipalities and public sector bodies will be required to create their own plans to address systemic hate, inequity and racism.

The strategy also includes actions for government departments to help underrepresented and underserved communities, such as the Mi'kmaq and people of Indigenous descent, African Nova Scotians and people of African descent, members of the LGBTQ community, immigrants and refugees, people with disabilities and members of faith communities.

The strategy contains definitions of specific types of systemic hate, inequity and racism and details about how to make the health-care system and related policies more inclusive and equitable.

On the health front, New Democrat Lisa Lachance said the province's gender affirming care policy needs to be expanded to provide more insurable services if it is to show a commitment to equitable health-care access. The lack of new goals, an accountability structure or ways to measure progress bothers Lachance.

"I feel like this is a completely underwhelming attempt at a strategy," they said.

Liberal MLA Tony Ince said he doesn't see much advancement in the document from the time his party was in power and they started the work with the creation of the Office of Equity and Anti-Racism.

Ince is frustrated that the Justice Department has inherited the Office of Equity and Anti-Racism, given the fraught history between the justice system and people from marginalized communities. And like the rest of his colleagues, he feels the strategy lacks accountability and firm detail.

"When they're telling you, 'We're working hard, we're doing this and we're doing that,' tell me what you're doing," he said. "I'm not going to settle with you just telling me you're doing this, you're doing that — give me a little snippet."

But Justice Minister Brad Johns said the lack of firm timelines is by design.

"It is something that needs to be able to move and shift in consultation with community and as things develop, you may see things change within this," he said.

Consultation related to the strategy will continue and there is a website where members of the public can submit feedback and concerns.

Johns said he's asked officials in his department to reach out to his colleagues in the opposition to get their feedback on the strategy.

Despite concerns from opposition MLAs that the strategy doesn't contain new information, Johns said the process the Tories have followed shows their commitment to the work. What started with the former Liberal government is being continued, he said.

"I think, overall, this goes beyond partisan politics and it's really trying to ensure that government is best working for Nova Scotians and it's considering all Nova Scotians in its decision-making processes."

Duale said if the government is going to get this right, they need to listen to the lived experiences of the MLAs and other people representing diverse communities.

"Because this is their document. This is their life. This is their wellbeing. So that's what I'm hoping and that's what I'm expecting."

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.