Introduction

<aside> ℹ️ This page summarizes each federal party's plans in regards to Multiculturalism for the 2019 federal election.

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Bill 21 is mentioned several times on this page, go to Religious Discrimination for background information on the bill.

Liberal Party of Canada

In 2019, the Liberal party promised that they will “improve diversity in appointments to federal agencies and bodies” and appoint "only bilingual judges to the Supreme Court of Canada.”

In addition, the leader of the Liberal party and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised he would consider challenging Quebec on Bill 21, which bans certain public servants, including teachers and police, from wearing religious symbols. Trudeau was the only leader from any political party to do so. However, as of February 2020, Trudeau claimed he doesn't agree with Bill 21 but the federal government will not legally challenge the bill.

The Multiculturalism Act is another significant aspect of the Liberal Party's platform. It is a policy that ensures every Canadian receives equal treatment by the government, respecting and celebrating diversity. The Act recognizes and protects Canada's multicultural heritage. For more information, see here .

Conservative Party of Canada

The Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) classifies multiculturalism under section O) of their party policy declaration form. The statement reads :

“The Conservative Party recognizes the rich, diverse make-up of the Canadian population and the contribution of these communities to our history and the Canadian way of life. The government should ensure that each community is able to enhance and contribute to Canada without discrimination and barriers.”

Prior to Erin O’Toole, the CPC’s approach to multiculturalism could be classified as “Neoconservative.” Neoconservatism in a multicultural context is a combination of pragmatic multicultural policy and problematic discourse about immigration and ethnicity. It is not clear yet whether Erin O’Toole will fall into this category with his leadership at this stage. O’Toole has stated that they (the CPC) will not interfere in Quebec’s Bill 21 which would restrict religious freedoms.