Feds Announce Plan On Combatting Hate

The federal government has unveiled a plan to tackle hate.

The rise in hate incidents has disproportionately affected Indigenous Peoples; Black, racialized, religious minorities, and 2SLGBTQI+ communities; women; and persons with disabilities.

The Honourable Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, has introduced Canada’s Action Plan on Combatting Hate.

The Action Plan represents Canada’s first-ever comprehensive cross-government effort to combat hate.

It brings together 20 key federal initiatives grounded on three pillars:

• Empower communities to identify and prevent hate
• Support victims and survivors, and protect communities
• Build community trust, partnerships and institutional readiness.

The Action Plan invests $273.6 million over six years, and $29.3 million ongoing, to tackle hatred from multiple angles. It includes increasing support to victims and survivors, helping communities prevent, address and protect people from hate; enhancing research and data collection; providing greater resources for law enforcement; and raising public awareness.

Statistics Canada said in July that the number of police-reported hate crimes increased from 3,612 incidents in 2022 to 4,777 in 2023 (+32%), though some victims might not report a hate crime they experienced.

That follows an 8-percent increase in 2022 and a 72-percent increase from 2019 to 2021.

Overall, the number of police-reported hate crimes (+145%) has more than doubled since 2019.

To learn more, visit Government of Canada.