A newly formed non-profit is encouraging Black people in Western and Northern Canada to run for office and get more involved in electoral politics.
Black Voters Matter Canada has partnered with Canadian federal political parties and Black-led organizations to host workshops during the month of March about running for federal office as a Black person.
Vancouver-based Petros Kusmu, a co-founder of the organization, says these conversations, which include current members of parliament who can offer insight into the job, are particularly important right now when there are murmurs of a possible snap federal election this spring.
“We know that Black candidates are underrepresented in politics, particularly in the west and the north, so we’re seeking to resolve that now,” said Kusmu, speaking on CBC’s The Early Edition Thursday.
Vancouver-based Petros Kusmu, co-founder and organizer of Black Voters Matter Canada, says Canadians are “missing out on amazing folks who would do a fantastic job.” (Photo by Darren Brown)
Kusmu believes all Canadians would benefit from having more diverse political representation, and that Western Canada is particularly ready to see more Black people run for office and win seats.
He told CBC this was apparent when Leslyn Lewis, a Black woman based in Eastern Canada, recently ran for the federal Conservative Party leadership.
“She was so popular out in the Prairies and in Western Canada, which was a surprise, because she’s from Ontario,” said Kusmu.
“And there are so many more Dr. Leslyn Lewises and future potential Barack Obamas that are hidden gems here in the West and North.”
Former Conservative Party of Canada leadership candidate Leslyn Lewis makes her opening statement at the start of the French Leadership Debate in Toronto on Wednesday, June 17, 2020. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)
The workshops are an opportunity, he said, to try and break down some of the barriers that could be keeping Black people from politics.
Kusmu said Black British Columbians may be hesitant to run for office because they are worried about the toxicity of social media, don’t think politics is a meaningful vehicle for change, or have few role models to look up to.
“It’s hard to be what you can’t see,” he said.
Alright, folks. I need your collective brain power on this: Name a Black person you work w/ in <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/AB?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#AB</a>, <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/BC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#BC</a>, <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/MB?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#MB</a>, <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/SK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#SK</a> & <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/NWT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#NWT</a> who you believe should run for federal office one day? <br><br>I’ll start: <a href=”https://twitter.com/MarkielSimpson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@MarkielSimpson</a>. I could legit list hundreds more but we’ll see where this goes!<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/CDNpoli?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#CDNpoli</a>
To counteract this, Black Voters Matter Canada’s event series offers opportunities for potential Black candidates to network, ask questions and learn about the process of running a campaign.
Only a handful of Black MPs currently sit in the House of Commons. Trinidadian-Canadian Hedy Fry is a Liberal MP from Vancouver and is the longest-serving female MP in Ottawa.
In October, the federal Green Party elected Toronto-based human rights lawyer Annamie Paul as their leader. Paul is the first Black permanent leader of a major federal political party.
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.
On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.
Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.
Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
