CNERJ regularly publishes public statements and policy submissions in response to specific emerging issues or events related to equity, racial justice and systemic racism in Canada. Our goal is not just to comment on current events, but to advance changes in public policy with measurable impact.
Drawing on community input, current data and evidence from across the country, these statements reflect CNERJ’s commitment to advocacy for policy solutions that advance equity and racial justice.
Whether responding to government announcements, proposing legislative reform, or contributing to public consultations, these statements are grounded in current data and input from Indigenous, Black, racialized and other equity-denied communities that want to see more government accountability.
For in-depth reports and data analysis, please visit our Research & Data page.
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Is This Leadership? Combatting Racism Effectively Requires Legislation, Not Temporary Commitments Without Tangible Consequences
July 15, 2026
For more than two decades, Canadian governments have relied on strategies, action plans and temporary initiatives to address systemic racism. This statement argues that lasting progress requires a Federal Anti-Racism Act that creates legal obligations, accountability and measurable action beyond governments’ changing political will.
Divisive and Polarizing: CNERJ Statement on the Ministerial Advisory Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion
June 8, 2026
This statement represents CNERJ’s response to the federal government’s announcement of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion whose launch, composition, and initial priority have proven profoundly polarizing. The statement argues that by excluding key equity-denied communities from its membership and choosing a single issue as initial operational priority despite the broad mission the Council’s name suggests, the group risks generating ongoing division and controversy.
(Update: Following significant public backlash over the total exclusion of Black Canadians from the Council’s membership, a Black member was appointed on June 26, 2026. The debate around the Council’s mission and priorities continue.)
Statement on Federal Budget 2025
November 7, 2025
CNERJ’s submission to the Department of Finance was a response to the federal budget tabled in August 2025. The statement argues that the government appeared to preserve a commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism on paper, while eroding it in practice, given that the budget was entirely silent on the subjects of addressing systemic racism and that key programs were being defunded, including Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy, the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Anti-Racism (IDEaR) Secretariat, and the National Strategy Respecting Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice Act (Bill C-226). The statement called for fully reinstating that funding.
Pre-Budget Submission 2025
August 22, 2025
CNERJ’s pre-budget submission to the Minister of Finance (which was endorsed by allied organizations across Canada) warned that “sunsetting” of racial equity programs would dismantle years of progress and would erode public trust.
