MP Alistair MacGregor will be hosting a virtual public town hall, Coming Together: An Open Discussion on Racism, to address issues facing racial minorities in Canada.
The event will feature MP Jody Wilson-Raybould and members of Cowichan Tribes.
The virtual town hall will be held through Zoom and participants can find instructions on how to participate through MacGregor’s website. It will also be streamed live on MacGregor’s Facebook page from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., on Tuesday, July 21. MacGregor is encouraging all interested constituents to attend and participate.
“These last few months have been incredibly challenging for the residents of Cowichan-Malahat-Langford, who have been forced to deal with the economic and social consequences of COVID-19,” says MacGregor. “We’ve also been forced to confront the systemic inequality, poverty and racism that continue to hold so many people back from achieving their full potential. I’m excited to meet with my constituents to hear what they have to say on this issue and ensure their voices are heard in Ottawa.”
An expert panel will be participating in the town hall, including the Honourable MP Jody Wilson-Raybould, and representatives from Cowichan Tribes, the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, and the Students of Colour Collective at the University of Victoria.
The urgent need to address this issue is clear: 2016 Census data shows that racialized minorities in Canada receive two-thirds of the average annual income that non-racialized Canadians receive.
Early in 2020, the Correctional Investigator of Canada issued a report outlining that more than 30 per cent of inmates in Canadian prisons are Indigenous — even though aboriginal people make up just five per cent of the country’s population.
A recent Mainstreet Research/iPolitics poll found that 62 per cent of Canadians think that “Black Canadians are treated less fairly than white Canadians in terms of dealing with the police.”
During the town hall, constituents are encouraged to share feedback, personal stories, and questions for the town hall panelists.
Constituents can also email questions in advance to Alistair.macgregor.c1d@parl.gc.ca. All emailed questions must to be sent no later than 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21.
