Question Period Note: TRANSFER OF THE FEDERAL ANTI-RACISM SECRETARIAT FROM CANADIAN HERITAGE TO EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CANADA

On July 26, 2023, an Order In Council moved the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat from the Department of Canadian Heritage (PCH) to the Department of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).

• Through the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat, the Government of Canada is committed to eradicating racism that far too many people face here at home.

• On July 26, 2023, the Secretariat moved to Employment and Social Development Canada, as per an Order In Council.

• The Federal Secretariat leads and coordinates Canada’s new Anti-Racism Strategy: Changing Systems, Transforming Lives.

• It works with federal and hundreds of organizations across Canada to remove systemic barriers faced by populations facing racism.

• Since 2019, the Government has invested over $200M to combat racism and hate.

As of July 26, 2023, the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat is now controlled and supervised by the Department of Employment and Social Development Canada, as per an Order In Council emitted that same day.

The Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat was set-up in 2019, as a signature initiative of Building a Foundation for Change: Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy, 2019-2023.

Under the “Demonstrating Federal Leadership” pillar of the Strategy, it is tasked with coordinating federal action and driving the overall strategy, by leading federal institutions to identify and coordinate responsive initiatives, identify gaps, assist in developing new initiatives, and consider the impacts of new and existing policies, services and programs on communities and Indigenous Peoples.
Over the course of the last four years, the Federal Secretariat has played a leadership role across the federal government by assisting several government organizations in developing and implementing policy and other initiatives that address the needs of populations with lived experience of racism. It has involved persons and communities most affected by racism to inform its whole of government policy change work, and hosted commemoration activities to mark the history and contributions of racialized and religious minority populations.
The Federal Secretariat has also contributed on the international stage, facilitating the signing of trilateral and bilateral agreements, and informing the work to advance Canada’s anti-racism, human rights, diversity and inclusion, and democratic value foreign policy objectives.
Under Budget 2022, the Government committed to deliver Canada’s new Anti-Racism Strategy and the country’s first ever Action Plan on Combatting Hate. The Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat has been active in informing the development of both priorities, notably through an extensive public engagement and consultation process with populations most affected by racism as well as with key sectors of society.
Canada’s new Anti-Racism Strategy: Changing Systems, Transforming Lives: Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy 2024–2028 was launched in Spring 2024. It covers over 70 federal initiatives and takes a more comprehensive approach to eliminating systemic racism and discrimination in Canada.
Since 2019, the Government has invested over $200M in the initial anti-racism strategy as well as in the new Strategy and the action plan on combatting hate. These investments include:
• $95M under the initial Strategy, comprised of $45M (Budget 2019) and $50M (2020 Fall Economic Statement); and
• $110.4M under the second strategy, comprised of $85M over 4 years, starting 2023-2024 (Budget 2022), and $25.4M over 5 years, starting 2023-2024, and $0.6M ongoing (Budget 2023).

• With this whole of government coordination role, the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat is working with federal departments and agencies.

• Together, they are combatting such matters as anti-Indigenous, anti-Black racism, anti-Asian racism, Islamophobia, and antisemitism, in order to close the racial gap.

• This means helping federal institutions understand the impact of their decisions on populations facing racism, develop more responsive initiatives, and remove barriers in their programs, policies, and services to the public.

• The work on anti-racism within the public service is led by the Treasury Board Secretariat.