Equity and Anti-Racism Legislation

Asians have been discriminated against a lot since the pandemic. To fight the epidemic together, we need methods rather than discrimination and accusations. In the process, everyone in the Asian community is actively participating in the fight against the epidemic, and also needs to run their lives. They also have to face discrimination from all aspects of society. It is really necessary for the government to make relevant laws to protect everyone who works hard for a living.

Government and its institutions are quick to acknowledge the existence of these blights upon society. But they are even better at maintaining the status quo and doing as little as possible to address the issue in any substantive manner.

The IWK contracts out housekeeping functions. These workers, despite being unionised, make about 13-17 dollars an hour, have no pension plan (!!!) and are not even worthy of consideration as actual IWK employees. At the start of the pandemic, these were the very people being hailed as health care heroes. Now, not so much. The IWK did not even see fit to pressure the employer (Crothall Services) to implement a pandemic bonus payment for these people which even the bread price fixers at Loblaw corporation (Superstores) did here for a short while in Nova Scotia.

It is no coincidence that this workforce at the IWK is the most diverse. Like most of the IWK it is also majority female. With this contracting out policy, a policy that is very consciously designed to drive down costs to the lowest level possible, we have an absolutely magnificent example of structural racism at work. The executives at the IWK, all making well into the 6 figures in salary, would deny any racist intent, but the point is that the outcomes belie this. The excuse is always that "we are trying to save taxpayer dollars." The interesting fact is that this is always at the expense of low paid, powerless, voiceless workers.

The results of this policy ensure that these workers are in precarious situations, that their life opportunities are limited because of their crappy wages and benefits and that any attempts to improve their lives are going to be limited by the reality of not even being paid a living wage by an employer that supposedly cares about the health and well being of the women and children of this province.

Any government contracts, including arms-length institutions like hospitals, should be legislated to only award contracts to companies that pay a living wage, that offer decent benefits and a good pension plan. This is one way to ensure that companies that want those fat juicy government dollars, are at least paying their wrokers fairly instead of just sucking up the profit that capitalists like them love to do at the expense of the actual wealth generators (i.e. the workers being robbed blind by their rentier-capitalist owners).

I taught the mandatory Diversity and Employment Equity course for Provincial government employees from 2006 to 2011. The course was developed to signal the importance of equity issues within government, open up conversation and teach respectful language for it, and introduce the Employment Equity and Respectful Workplace Policies, which were state of the art. The course was desperately needed, along with much more effort to implement those good policies. When I consolidated my notes later, I discovered that one out of five sessions was taken over by unabashed bigotry and many of my lunch breaks involved civil servants from marginalized groups telling me their harrowing stories. I don't know if the course is still offered today, but please don't forget that you already have, or had, these policies, a plan for implementing them and a sound educational approach to making employees aware of them. Look at what is being done in other jurisdictions – are these policies still state of the art? Revisit them, update them, work out a plan to continue implementing them, restart them if they have stalled and, above all, listen to the civil servants you currently have from underrepresented groups and find and interview the many you have lost through the "revolving door" of internal mistreatment. I'm glad to see this work happening. Thank you.

Many see disability as only permanent, chronic, or visible. However, invisible disabilities are usually forgotten. Accommodations may be needed only with flare ups, or only during treatment, but it nevertheless causes severe stigma and exclusion from access to human rights, including at school, at work and in other public settings. In all times, there are people with immune compromised bodies. In addition to many mental health issues, this is a very large segment of people. In the context of a Novel virus, it will always pose a greater risk to immune compromised or immune suppressed people due to transplants, cancer & its treatment, those taking many different drugs to sustain various organs, those with Primary Immune Disorders, those taking medications for rheumatoid arthritis, MS, ME, CFS, and conditions like Downs Syndrome or other genetic diseases that put them at risk for severe disease.

The current definition of Ableism must include those affected by this, so that they are not being forced to make a choice between risking their lives vs accessing healthcare, using public transit, accessing healthcare, working, or going to school. We accommodate peanut and scent allergies, so we need to be able to move beyond living with the virus by ensuring protections in at least essential public spaces, transportation & medical settings. 

When considering definitions of ableism, please include conditions affecting non-neurotypical (NNT) people of all ages (autism spectrum, Asperger’s, and other “differences”). In the realms of employment and health care especially, NNTs can encounter many barriers to full participation, putting their financial and physical well being at risk. They need access to appropriate accommodations, respect for their intelligence, and most important, acknowledgement that their conditions are as real as any of the more visible conditions that fall under the ableist category.

The new economic cold war with China is bound to stir up anti-Chinese sentiments within Canada.  Chinese investments into Canada at every level, from the Chinese state, or private, should be viewed as friendly and with intentions of mutually beneficial.  

Sanctions against any country will stir up resentment against nationals from that country, when pushed hard and long enough.  Nova Scotia can do what‘s within its influence to ensure Canada has unimpeded free trade globally with everyone, and free movement of capital and labour.  

—Claude