Economic outcomes may be the most fundamental indicator of whether immigrants to Canada have integrated successfully. How do visible minority groups compare with people who are not members of visible minorities in workforce participation, unemployment …
Read MoreOne of the enduring lessons of my time working on citizenship and multiculturalism issues under former minister Jason Kenney was just how much I and many other public servants were blinded by internal values, ideologies …
Read MoreRobin Higham, my helpful ‘trusted reader’ for my book, Policy Arrogance or Innocent Bias: Resetting Citizenship and Multiculturalism, has written What Would You Say? ... as guest speaker at the next Canadian citizenship ceremony, an anecdote-based approach …
Read MoreThis presentation made at Metropolis 2016 analyzes citizenship test and take-up data, reviews the policy changes and impact of the 2010 and 2014 Conservative government changes and assesses the likely impact of the Liberal changes …
Read MoreA Commons committee has finished hearing witnesses on the proposed changes to the Citizenship Act in Bill C-6, and is proceeding to clause-by-clause examination of the legislation. Contrasting the nature of the committee testimony with …
Read MoreCitizenship is the neglected child of immigration-related policies. It attracts less attention, and it has a lower profile and fewer resources than other areas. This is evidenced by wide swings in the number of new …
Read MoreThe Conservative Government made “citizenship harder to get and easier to lose.” Residency, knowledge and language were all tightened (with reduced administrative discretion to waive language requirements and an exhaustive residency questionnaire introduced), fees more …
Read MoreChanges to the citizenship program starting in 2009 have resulted in a decline in the naturalization rate. Changes to the Citizenship Act in 2014 will further decrease the rate, as part of the Government's intent …
Read MoreWith the federal government’s general commitment to increased diversity in appointments, and Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould’s current review of the judicial appointment process, there needs to be a baseline of information about the current diversity …
Read MoreThe Liberal government included in its mandate letters to all ministers a “commitment to transparent, merit-based appointments, to help ensure gender parity and that Indigenous Canadians and minority groups are better reflected in positions of …
Read MoreFollowing my 2016 baseline study of the diversity of Governor in Council (GiC) appointments (Governor in Council Appointments - 2016 Baseline), I have analyzed 2016 and early 2017 appointments using the GiC appointments index. There …
Read MoreMy piece in The Hill Times: The Liberal government included in its mandate letters to all ministers a “commitment to transparent, merit-based appointments, to help ensure gender parity and that indigenous Canadians and minority groups are better …
Read MoreAnnual employment equity reports for the public service show ongoing progress overall in the representation of women, visible minorities and Indigenous people, but lack detailed data regarding those classified as executives: from EX-1s, who hold …
Read MoreWith the large number of Senate appointments made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a more independent role for individual senators, a look at the current level of diversity in the Upper Chamber is timely. In …
Read MoreWith the recent election of the remaining Parliamentary Committee Chairs, we have the final piece in the puzzle of how the overall increased diversity in the 42nd Parliament is reflected in the remaining leadership positions. To …
Read MoreHighlights of Macleans piece: Wynne told the Post that it’s time to use “the race lens” when formulating government policy, adding, “we need to start,” although she said she has yet to discuss the idea formally with …
Read MoreHere is an excerpt from Multiculturalism in Canada: Evidence and Anecdote. It combines analysis from federal employment equity reports with National Household Survey data to provide a more comprehensive picture of how visible minorities are faring …
Read MoreThe latest Treasury Board (TBS) report, Employment Equity in the Public Service of Canada 2014-15, provides useful information regarding the relative representation of employment equity groups: women, Indigenous peoples, visible minorities and persons with disabilities. …
Read MoreThe release of Statistics Canada's police-reported hate crimes data confirms that while the numbers remain largely stable, longer-term trends include a relative shift from ethnicity-related hate crimes to those linked to religion. Crimes against Muslim …
Read MoreWith the announcement that Janice Charente is being replaced by Michael Wernick as Clerk of the Privy Council, I thought it might be interesting to see what the baseline is before further appointments and changes …
Read MoreThis week, the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration starts its deliberations on the changes to the Citizenship Act (Bill C-6), announced in February by Minister John McCallum. These changes are largely limited to Liberal platform and …
Read MoreThe Liberal government promised a diversity and inclusion agenda, and made specific commitments to ensure more inclusive representation in appointments. A year later, how well have they implemented this commitment? There is gender parity in cabinet, …
Read MoreGovernor in Council Appointments Baseline 2016 Photo: Art Babych / Shutterstock.com
Read MoreCould a single hospital in Richmond, BC, be the only one in the country experiencing a boom in birth tourism? This was the question many people had earlier this year, when politicians began taking notice …
Read MoreHow well does Canada integrate immigrants and visible minorities into political life? While the barriers to entering political life are significant, as the Samara Centre for Democracy study on nomination processes has shown, the recent …
Read MoreA good long piece analyzing the findings of the Pew Research 2014 Religious Landscape Study, mainly from a political perspective. The above chart contrasts religious minorities in Canada with those in the USA. The more significant difference …
Read MoreAs I have been taking a closer look at diversity in Governor in Council and judicial appointments, the gaps in the available data have become much clearer. Documents I received under the Access to Information …
Read MoreA major focus of this 2019 election for the various campaigns will be courting voters from immigrant and visible minority communities, who are a majority of the population in 41 ridings, and 20 percent or …
Read MoreGiven the polarization between those who advocate for more immigration and those who advocate for less, we need guidelines to facilitate more respectful and informative debates. I also suggest some alternative language for both viewpoints, …
Read MoreWith the appointment of parliamentary secretaries and opposition critics, we now have a more comprehensive picture of gender and visible minority diversity in Parliament’s leadership positions. How well has the Liberal government implemented its overall …
Read MoreAssembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde was recently quoted as saying, “If you want to become an MP, you better listen to us. You better focus on our issues because we’re voting now.” …
Read MoreWhen immigration officials and advocates talk about the integration process for new Canadians, often they reach for the metaphor of a “two-way street.” Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada notes that “the focus of the integration …
Read MoreA useful report by IRPP researchers Antoine Bilodeau, Luc Turgeon, Stephen E. White and Ailsa Henderson on the views regarding the federation of visible minorities, divided into both immigrants and second or more generations. These regional …
Read MoreIn Maximum Canada: Why 35 Million Canadians Are Not Enough, Doug Saunders provides a more sophisticated and nuanced discussion of the advantages of large-scale immigration and a larger population than others, such as the Advisory …
Read MoreFor those interested, a slightly modified version of the deck I presented to the Centre on Public Management and Policy, University of Ottawa to mid-level government executives, highlighting the key findings of my book, Multiculturalism …
Read MoreThe deck below, presented at the recent October 2015 Canadian Ethnic Studies Association conference, provides an overview of the policy and operational changes and the resulting decline in the naturalization rate using CIC operational statistics, …
Read MoreWhile others have commented on the general messaging (e.g., Susan Delacourt, You’ll be judged by how you treat others, Trudeau cabinet warned and Paul Wells, Justin Trudeau repeats himself, this post focussed on the common messaging on …
Read MoreCanada is one of the world’s most multicultural societies. Of its population of almost 33 million people, 20.6 percent are foreign-born, and more than 250 ethnic origins are represented. The current ethnic and religious diversity …
Read MoreWith over 20 percent of the population foreign-born, and with more than 250 ethnic origins, Canada is one of the world’s most multicultural societies. Canada’s ethnic and religious diversity continues to grow alongside immigration. Yet how …
Read MoreAs part of the new Ministry, the multiculturalism program has been transferred back to Canadian Heritage after seven years at CIC (and eight with former Minister Kenney). This includes responsibility for the Canadian Race Relations Foundation …
Read MoreWith a federal election upon us and the possible change of government, what are the policy changes an incoming government may wish to consider, and which policies may it wish to keep? The Conservative Government under …
Read MoreThe proposed changes to the Citizenship Act announced 25 February by Minister McCallum focussed on implementing the Liberal platform and ministerial mandate commitments, rather than full-scale repeal of the previous Conservative government’s legislation and related measures. The package …
Read MoreNow that all the political platforms are out, I prepared this comparative table of the three major parties and their commitments on immigration, citizenship, multiculturalism and related issues. A number of aspects worthy of note with …
Read MoreTony Clement, President of the Treasury Board, stated during the controversy over the wearing of a niqab at citizenship ceremonies that hijabs and niqabs “are frequently worn” in the public service and that “I’m sure …
Read MoreNote this post updated 25 Oct with the addition of one Conservative MP. In contrast to the 2011 election, where 9.4 percent of all MPs were visible minorities, 2015 representation is aligned to the number of …
Read MoreUpcoming Senate appointments will provide a test for the common wording in Ministerial mandate letters: “You are expected to do your part to fulfill our government’s commitment to transparent, merit-based appointments, to help ensure gender parity …
Read MoreEach of the mandate letters given to cabinet ministers by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the past three years has included the following commitment: “You are expected to do your part to fulfill our government’s …
Read MoreHow has government language and programming changed under the Conservative government, and what is the legacy of Jason Kenney, the Minister for Multiculturalism? And what has been the impact of the niqab controversy and Conservative …
Read MoreData on immigration and ethnocultural diversity from the 2016 census show that many Canadian communities now have a larger percentage of visible minority residents than they did in 2011. Of the 338 federal ridings in …
Read MoreThe previous Conservative government’s hiking up of citizenship application fees – from $100 to $530 – revealed a particular philosophy: that citizenship is a private, rather than a public, benefit. The move had measurable consequences. Data …
Read MoreThe charts shows the overall representation of Canada's new Parliament (the 2011 Parliament equivalent is shown below). Canadian Sikhs predominate as four out of the five visible minority ministers are Sikh: Navdeep Bains, Harjit Sajjan, Amarjeet …
Read MoreIn Budget 2015, the then Conservative government announced additional funding of $13.4 million over five years and $2.8 million in ongoing funding for the Canadian Honours System. This aimed to “bring [honours] closer to all …
Read MoreBudget 2017 proposes to replace the User Fees Act of 2004 with a streamlined new “Service Fees Act.” Both acts cover government fees charged for products, regulatory processes, authorizations, permits or licences, facilities; and for …
Read MoreThe Liberal government has emphasized its diversity and inclusive language in speeches, in Cabinet, in Cabinet committees, and in Cabinet ministers’ mandate letters. This emphasis has been reinforced by the return of the multiculturalism program to Canadian …
Read MoreAs part of my analysis of ethnic enclaves and political participation in Multiculturalism in Canada: Evidence and Anecdote, I broke out the main visible minorities in the 33 ridings with more than 50 percent visible …
Read MoreIs the increased number of visible minorities being reflected in party candidates? Which ridings are these candidates running in? And do these candidates reflect the largest groups in their ridings? Now that we know the names …
Read MoreHow we debate immigration and related issues is as important as the issues themselves. Whether these be broad political or media debates, or more focused consultations or workshops, care needs to be taken to ensure …
Read MoreAmerica is deeply divided on issues related to immigrants and refugees, while in Canada, which accepts larger proportions of newcomers, there is a general consensus in the country over the issue. Canadians are broadly accepting …
Read MoreWith the decision by the Supreme Court of Canada to hear the challenge to the five-year restriction on expatriates’ voting rights, it is timely to review the arguments in favour and against extending the time. …
Read MoreThe path that leads newcomers to ultimately attain Canadian citizenship is eroding, a trend that the government has yet to acknowledge and address. An analysis of recent operational data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada …
Read MoreEnding “birth tourism” and “birthright citizenship” are not new policy objectives for the Conservative Party, which made the issue a priority at its August 23-25 convention. The previous federal Conservative government under Stephen Harper made …
Read MoreThe phrase “a Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian” was first used during the 2015 election, in the context of ensuring Canadian citizens convicted of crimes of treason or terrorism, whether they are born …
Read MoreProposed changes to the Citizenship Act under Bill C-6 went to the Senate this week. Whether senators will introduce amendments that either facilitate or restrict citizenship remains to be seen. One aspect overlooked by MPs in …
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