British Columbia’s recently announced Anti-Racism Act would have public bodies answer to a new provincial anti-racism committee about how they are combatting “systemic racism.”
Public bodies, such as provincial ministries and health-care providers, would be required to meet hiring targets for indigenous and “racialized” people, including making sure they advance to senior positions, says a press release outlining the legislation.
Public employees would have to undergo training in indigenous history, and policies and programs within the organizations would be regularly assessed against an anti-racism framework created by the new committee. The attorney general would be responsible for enforcement.
“To ensure compliance, the bill authorizes the attorney general to call at any time a compliance review of any public body believed to not be following the law,” the press release reads. “The attorney general will also have the authority to issue a compliance order to any public body that is failing to follow the law.”