Anti-racism advocates skeptical that N.L. government committee will lead to real change

Two Newfoundland and Labrador anti-racism advocates say a new ministerial committee meant to address racism in the province lacks the tools needed to make concrete change.

Sobia Shaikh, the co-chair of the Anti-Racism Coalition of Newfoundland and Labrador and a Memorial University social work professor, said representatives from ARC-NL were disappointed by their meeting with the committee last week.

She said the committee was receptive to concerns, but the members did not name specific actions the government was taking to address racism in Newfoundland and Labrador. Shaikh also noted that while the committee is doing public consultations, there are no plans for a final report.

"We have no idea what the plans are going forward," she said in an interview with CBC News. "We're very concerned about that."

The committee, created last summer, includes Immigration Minister Gerry Byrne, Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation Minister Lisa Dempster, Justice Minister John Hogan and Education Minister Tom Osborne.

According to its mandate, the committee will hold consultations with individuals and organizations regarding measures that could be taken to address racism in Newfoundland and Labrador. However, the mandate does not specifically state what those measures might be.

In a statement on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Department of Immigration, Population Growth and Skills said the committee has met with 27 groups so far, and is taking immediate steps to address issues.

The spokesperson said those actions include developing an anti-racism public education campaign, creating intercultural competency training for public employees and working to remove barriers for recognition of foreign professional training and qualifications.

"As Minister Byrne has stated repeatedly and publicly, the intent of the Ministerial Committee on Anti-Racism is not to produce a final report," said the spokesperson. "This approach has been conveyed during all consultation meetings the Committee has held."

The committee is currently in its consultations phase, but Shaikh said it isn't clear what the committee will do with the information they gather, especially since it has no plans to create a report or list of recommendations.

"What is the point of these committees if there's not going to be any sort of accountability?" she asked.

In an interview with The St. John's Morning Show last month, Byrne said the committee decided against creating a report in favour of addressing problems more quickly. He said the committee had, for example, connected an individual with Memorial University leadership after they complained about racial bias in applications for MUN's professional schools.

CBC News has asked the university for comment.

In a Twitter thread about the meeting, ARC-NL said representatives from the group asked for some specific actions, including expanding MCP coverage to more migrant workers, extending voting rights to all residents, developing anti-hate campaigns, and creating a paid anti-racism advisory committee.