SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Virus of Inequality Symposium

Honourable senators, I want to begin by thanking my colleagues in the Canadian Senators Group, particularly their leader, Senator Osler, for gifting me this time.

I also want to thank all the senators who joined us in the senators’ lounge for the opening of the Virus of Inequality Symposium last evening. It was hard to keep track of the comings and goings, but we counted more than 30 of you. This symposium has been made possible by the support from Senators Petitclerc, Pate, Ataullahjan, Osler, Bernard, Senior, Henkel, Patterson, Clement, Mohamed and Moodie. I thank them from my heart.

Last evening, we honoured four “femtors,” all now in their eighties and still active feminist leaders.

Thank you so much for the much-deserved standing ovation for the first Black woman member of Parliament in Canadian history.

When we think about Black History Month, which we speak to here, we need to thank Jean Augustine.

When we come to the Senate entrance and we pass the statues of the Famous Five from the Persons Case, we need to thank Jean Augustine.

We need to acknowledge the willingness to basically change the rules because they were built on a model of exclusion and to be the one who could have the voice and the influence to change hearts and minds, because that’s what we have to do to change rules.

Colleagues, many months ago, I decided such a symposium on the impact of the growing gaps in inequality across the world was a pretty good idea. But why did I name the symposium the “Virus of Inequality”? Well, first, I hope this title is thought-provoking.

Inequalities are systemic, structural and contagious, spreading through legal, social, health, education, economic and political systems, exacerbating harms in Canada and globally.

The metaphor acknowledges but is not limited to the COVID-19 pandemic, which starkly exposed how crises intensify and accelerate existing structural injustices.

The pandemic revealed collective vulnerability, the limits of deeply unequal economic systems, gaps in health and social care and the indispensable role of decisive governmental and parliamentary action, making transformative public policy possible and urgent to reduce inequalities.

Colleagues, we’re the lawmakers who can make this kind of difference. I salute all of us who try to do so every single day in this chamber.

Thank you. Meegwetch.