Senators referred to the Canadian Human Rights Commission as ineffective.According to Blacklock’s Reporter, The Commission mistreated its black employees and has a budget of $41.6 million.“Allegations of anti-black racism have raised concerns about the Human Rights Commission’s treatment of its own employees as well as decision-making processes when dealing with complaints,” wrote the Senate Human Rights committee. “Witnesses described a toxic culture at the Commission.”“Anti-black racism and other forms of systemic discrimination are unacceptable in any institution,” said a Senate committee report. “The committee was therefore concerned to hear anti-black racism is pervasive in the federal public service and was particularly troubled by its presence within the Canadian Human Rights Commission, a body designed to be a watchdog for human rights.”“People who have experienced discrimination deserve a human rights system that is fair, timely and effective,” said the report Anti-Black Racism, Sexism and Systemic Discrimination in the Canadian Human Rights Commission. “The Human Rights Commission has fallen short of that standard.”The Treasury Board previously criticized the Commission for mistreating black staff.Nine black employees documented cases where they were denied promotions, subjected to “discriminatory practices” and “tokenized in the workplace.” Acting Chief Commissioner Charlotte-Anne Malischewski issued an apology on May 8 in response to demands for the management to be fired.“These findings call into question the inability of the Canadian Human Rights Commission in respond to human rights complaints in a fair and equitable manner,” said the report.Senators documented “a crisis of confidence in the federal human rights system and underscored the disturbing fact that no institution is immune to systemic racism.”Senators suggested Parliament appointed a Black Equity Commissioner to “evaluate federal public service systems, policies and practices through a diversity, inclusion, equity and anti-black racism lens.”Senators wrote the Commissioner should report to Parliament instead of the Human Rights Commission.Unions spoke at the Senate committee hearings on May 15 and mentioned the Human Rights Commission was poorly managed.“It is a toxic workplace,” said David McNairn, president of the Association of Justice Counsel representing Commission lawyers who complained of discrimination. “Our view is, and I take no pleasure in saying this, if you are going to change the culture, you have to change the people at the top.”Chris Aylward, national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, expressed disbelief that the Commission, which was mandated to uphold human rights, breached the anti-discrimination clause of its own contracts with black employees. “Systemic discrimination runs so deep in Canada’s public service it can be found in the very branch of the government responsible for fighting it,” he said.
