Today, at the Chinese Canadians Leaders’ Summit of the Action, Chinese Canadians Together (ACCT) Foundation, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, affirmed the importance of diversity, inclusion, and representation in all aspects of society, especially within government.
June 26, 2021 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada
The Government of Canada is committed to taking action against racism and discrimination in all its forms—whether online, on Canada’s streets, or in the workplace.
Today, at the Chinese Canadians Leaders’ Summit of the Action, Chinese Canadians Together (ACCT) Foundation, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, affirmed the importance of diversity, inclusion, and representation in all aspects of society, especially within government.
During a panel discussion with Lai-King Hum, founder of Hum Law and Deputy Judge; Daniel Quan-Watson, Deputy Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs; Kathy Cheng, President of WS & Co.; and Yung Wu, CEO of MaRs Discovery District, Minister Ng highlighted the significant contributions people of Asian descent have made in Canada historically, are making presently, and will continue to make for generations to come.
The Minister underscored that people of Asian descent in Canada do not only aspire to lead: they are already leaders across the country in business, government, academia, and community organizations.
Minister Ng expressed her commitment to continue fighting racism and discrimination on behalf of all Canadians and to using every opportunity to encourage Canadians of all backgrounds to get involved in this effort.
The Government of Canada recognises the unequal impacts the COVID-19 pandemic has had on certain Canadians, emphasizing the unacceptable rise in harassment and attacks against people of Asian descent in Canada. That is why the Government has invested $11 million over two years to expand the Canadian Race Relations Foundation to support all racialized communities, including by helping establish a national coalition to support Asian Canadians.
“As a Canadian of Asian descent at the Cabinet table, fighting anti-Asian racism and increasing Asian Canadian representation in leadership roles are priorities not just for our government, they are priorities for me, personally. Through concrete actions, our government will continue to work hard to not only support but also champion the next generation of Asian Canadians, particularly Asian Canadian women.”
– Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade
In the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, the Government of Canada reiterated its commitment to fighting racism in all its forms by providing $50 million over two years, starting in the 2021 to 2022 fiscal year, to deliver on the government’s anti-racism objectives.
The Canadian Race Relations Foundation is a Crown corporation created in 1996 as part of the Japanese Canadian Redress Agreement.
The Federal Anti-racism Secretariat, at Canadian Heritage, leads a whole-of-government approach in addressing racism and discrimination while driving Building a Foundation for Change: Canada’s Anti-racism Strategy 2019 to 2022.
The strategy is a $45-million investment to build long-term changes in supporting communities and to improve policies, initiatives, and practices in Canada’s federal institutions.
Through Canada’s Anti-racism Strategy, the government is taking action to support Indigenous peoples; racialized communities, including Asian communities; and religious minorities in three principal ways: demonstrating federal leadership, empowering communities and building awareness and changing attitudes.
Alice Hansen
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade
613-612-0482
Alice.Hansen@international.gc.ca