A controversial guidebook funded by taxpayers, which instructs schoolchildren to associate the Conservative Party with bigotry, was approved by the office of then-Diversity Minister Ahmed Hussen, according to Access To Information records. Blacklock's Reporter says the guide also labeled the Red Ensign as a hate symbol and offered advice on confronting classmates with what it called "incorrect thinking."“Yes,” confirmed a 2022 staff email regarding whether the Department of Canadian Heritage or the Minister approved the final published version of the toolkit. “Yes,” it added when asked if the cabinet approved the final version.The guidebook, "Confronting And Preventing Hate In Canadian Schools," cost taxpayers $268,400 and was authored by the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, a government-subsidized advocacy group.“This new resource will be delivered through workshops in schools across the country and it will help raise awareness with students,” Minister Hussen told reporters at the time. He emphasized that the toolkit would help “teach core values to our kids.”The Red Ensign, Canada's national flag until 1965, was listed as a “hate promoting symbol” alongside the swastika. The guide claimed its usage indicated a desire to revert to a predominantly white demographic as seen before 1967.The toolkit specifically targeted the Conservative Party, stating that bigots and young white nationalists sometimes attempt to infiltrate mainstream Conservative political parties. It cited an incident involving McMaster University Conservatives in 2020, who were scrutinized for allowing members with "overly bigoted beliefs and ties." The guide did not mention any other political parties by name.It also provided instructions for students on how to challenge classmates who expressed support for politicians with “problematic” views. “Sometimes educators and students will find themselves in the position of requiring an immediate response to a student in class who invokes a bigoted ideology,” it said. Examples included students arguing in favor of policies such as Trump's wall.The guide warned that invoking free speech in political discussions could be a defense of hate propaganda.Records show that the Anti-Hate Network used its $268,400 grant to hire a social worker to distribute the toolkit, conduct workshops with educators and school boards, and consult with schools.Elizabeth Simons, deputy director of the Anti-Hate Network, suggested talking points for Hussen when announcing the guide to reporters. “We expect the Minister would want to say a few words about how proud they are of the federal government supporting such an important initiative with all that is going on in the world and how committed they are to anti-hate initiatives generally,” wrote Simons. “We don’t expect he would need to speak for more than five minutes, just to hype up the initiative and the government’s commitments.”Simons also provided the minister’s office with a list of “journalists we regularly work with,” which included writers from the Toronto Star, Global News, the Globe & Mail, the Winnipeg Free Press, and six CBC reporters and producers.
