B.C. Conservatives vote to legalize racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination, says Sharma
VICTORIA—B.C. Conservative MLAs voted this morning to repeal the B.C. Human Rights Code, which protects against discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, and age.
Former OneBC MLA Tara Armstrong’s Human Rights Code Repeal Act was defeated on first reading by votes from New Democrat and Green MLAs. A majority of B.C. Conservative MLAs voted to support it, and none voted against it.
Although it is rare to vote against bills at first reading, B.C. Conservatives have already parted with that convention multiple times in this parliament to defeat other divisive bills, like a ban on land acknowledgements, a ban on international or memorial flags on public property, and a bill to cancel National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. They have not yet offered a justification for voting against those bills but in favour of one that legalizes open racism, sexism, homophobia, and all other forms of discrimination.
The Human Rights Code protects against discrimination like paying a woman less than a man or refusing to rent an apartment to a person because of their race. It establishes the complaint process for people who experience discrimination and harassment at work and in public life.
Niki Sharma, Attorney General:
“The B.C. Conservatives have voted down other bills at first reading, but when it came to basic rights for millions of British Columbians, they voted to rip them away. Repealing the Human Rights Code would mean a woman could be paid less just because she’s a woman, a family could be denied housing because of the colour of their skin, and a person of faith could be fired over their religion. This bill would quite literally legalize all forms of discrimination, and the B.C. Conservatives couldn’t muster the courage to stand against it.”