Hon. Kristopher Wells: Yesterday, we learned that the government will be eliminating the roles of the Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia and the Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism.

At a time when hatred has been on the rise, many Canadians are afraid, and these roles were created to fight against the rising tide of hate. They were also a model that many hoped to see replicated to fight other forms of hate, including homophobia and transphobia. In their place, the government has announced a new Advisory Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion. We all support this new council in the fight against hate, but Canadians need to know more about what its mandate will be.

Can the Government Representative please advise this chamber on the next steps in establishing this advisory council and what its specific mandate will be?

Hon. Pierre Moreau (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you, Senator Wells. I want to be clear. The government remains focused on confronting anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and all forms of hatred and racism. The new Advisory Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion will be composed of Canadians from a wide range of communities. The government will ensure they identify strong candidates, and appointments will be made with the council mandate and needs in mind. The new council will build upon the important work of the Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism and of the Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia.

The announcement of this change was made just yesterday, and I have been informed that the minister will share further details soon on the composition of the council.

Senator K. Wells: Combatting hate and promoting inclusion have significant implications across departments and across the whole of government. It is critical that this council be appropriately resourced and given a broad mandate to publicly and privately advocate on a range of issues that impact various diverse communities, including engagement with appropriate Senate committees. This will mean difficult conversations. It will mean being able to speak truth to power where necessary.

Can the Government Representative assure this chamber that this council will be given such a mandate?

Senator Moreau: Thank you again. The new advisory council’s mandate is specifically to take a holistic approach to fighting hatred and to articulate how we can pursue our collective work of an inclusive country.

The impact of hatred has multi-faceted consequences for different communities, but it also intersects with individuals and compounds over time into institutions. The Advisory Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion will undoubtedly be open to working with senators on tackling these —

The Hon. the Speaker: Thank you, Senator Moreau.