Hon. Wanda Thomas Bernard: Senator Gold, last month, Dr. Rachel Zellars released a study on Black executives in the federal public service that revealed some disturbing details about anti-Black racism in the public service.

Black executives working in the public service report experiencing anxiety, depression, suicidality, panic attacks and PTSD. This spreads to physical health issues and negative impacts on personal relationships. Senator Gold, what does the government plan to do to remedy the human rights issue of anti-Black racism in the public service?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question and for reminding us that despite all our best efforts and all the laws we can pass, there are systemic problems that are deeply embedded in our cultures of work and beyond. To say it is unacceptable that people who are willing to serve the country — or, indeed, work in any environment — are subjected to discrimination and racism such that they suffer from the conditions that you have described is trite and really doesn’t answer the question.

Though I’m not aware of specific measures to address the report and the situation that you describe, I will certainly make inquiries with relevant ministers in the hope of finding out what measures can be taken in the short term and beyond.

Senator Bernard: Senator Gold, we have heard of rollbacks to diversity, equity and inclusion across the country as a form of resistance to “woke politics.” How is the government responding to this?

Senator Gold: This government has always believed that the true strength of our institutions and our country — as one of our colleagues recently referred to in his inaugural speech — is diversity. It is not simply a matter of fairness and equity — though it is that as well — but also a question of resilience for our communities and country. Our government continues to believe in those values and will continue to promote them and embed them in its policies.