Question Period Note: Federal Budget 2023: Investments in Anti-Racism and Combatting Hate

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister tabled the 2023 Federal Budget on March 28, 2023

• The Government of Canada is committed to building a more inclusive, equitable and just society for all, where everyone is empowered to succeed.
• Budget 2023 proposes to provide an additional $25.4 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, and $0.6 million ongoing, to the Department of Canadian Heritage to continue to support Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy and fight all forms of racism, including but not limited to anti-Indigenous racism, anti-Black racism, anti-Asian racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia.
• The federal government plans to introduce a new Action Plan to Combat Hate later this year. This new Action Plan will include measures to combat hateful rhetoric and acts, building on measures being taken in Budget 2023 to build safer, more inclusive communities.

Budget 2023: Investments in Anti-Racism and Combatting Hate
Canada’s new Anti-Racism Strategy
• The Department of Canadian Heritage provides federal leadership to eliminate inequities rooted in systemic racism and discrimination through Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy with an initial investment of $95 million. The Strategy was designed as a first step, laying a foundation for longer-term federal action against racism and discrimination in Canada, with a strong emphasis on community-based projects, including those with a focus on countering online disinformation, racism, and hate.
• Budget 2022 announced a further $85M over 4 years, starting in 2022-23 to support the work underway to launch a new Anti-Racism Strategy and National Action Plan on Combatting Hate. This funding will support community projects that ensure that Black and racialized Canadians, and religious minorities have access to resources that support their full participation in the Canadian economy, while also raising awareness of issues related to racism and hate in Canada to support community projects that ensure that Black and racialized Canadians, and religious minorities have access to resources that support their full participation in the Canadian economy, while also raising awareness of issues related to racism and hate in Canada.
• Budget 2023 proposes to provide an additional $25.4 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, and $0.6 million ongoing, to the Department of Canadian Heritage to continue to support Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy and fight all forms of racism, including but not limited to anti-Indigenous racism, anti-Black racism, anti-Asian racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia.
• Budget 2023 also proposes to provide $1.5 million over two years, starting in 2023-24, to the Privy Council Office to create a new Anti-Racism, Equity and Inclusion Secretariat to ensure that considerations of anti-racism, equity and inclusion are applied in the development of federal government policies.

Canada's New Action Plan to Combat Hate
• Budget 2022 announced a further $85M over 4 years, starting in 2022-23 to support the work underway to launch a new Anti-Racism Strategy and National Action Plan on Combatting Hate.
• To confront hate in all its forms, including hate faced by 2SLGBTQI+ communities, the federal government plans to introduce the new Action Plan to Combat Hate later this year. This new Action Plan will include measures to combat hateful rhetoric and acts, building on measures being taken in Budget 2023 to build safer, more inclusive communities.
• Budget 2023 proposes to provide $49.5 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, to Public Safety Canada to enhance and expand the Communities at Risk: Security Infrastructure Program and allow it to be more responsive to the evolving security needs of communities.

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