Sidelined by election, anti-Islamophobia bill promised by NDP, Liberals
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A sweeping bill to combat Islamophobia, named for the London family killed in an alleged hate-motivated attack last year, has been sidelined by the provincial election call, proposed legislation the New Democrats vow to reintroduce.
The Our London Family Act, an NDP-sponsored bill launched in honour of the Afzaal family, was in committee when the Ontario legislature was dissolved Tuesday for the June 2 general election.
“Seeing this die on the order paper is incredibly disappointing. It should have passed already. It could have been passed already,” said London North Centre New Democrat Terence Kernaghan, one among four sponsors of the bill.
“Folks deserve to feel safe in Ontario. We need to listen to these communities and work to end Islamophobia.”
When an election is called, all unfinished business of the provincial legislature is scrapped, including the Our London Family Act.
The act was introduced by the NDP at the end of February with support from the Liberals and Green Party. It passed the first reading and was referred to the legislature’s standing committee on justice policy March 3, but never progressed further.
In March, the NDP unsuccessfully pushed the Progressive Conservative majority government to fast-track the bill through committee.
The bill attempted to tackle Islamophobia in the province by changing school curricula, enhancing Ontario’s anti-racism directorate and increasing the timeline people have to file human rights complaints.
The bill also called for increased hiring of minorities in the provincial public service and more accountability on hate crime reporting and prosecution in Ontario.
In their election platform, the NDP are pledging to immediately pass the Our London Family Act if they form government, or reintroduce the bill if they do not, Kernaghan said.
The Ontario Liberals also have committed to passing the Our London Family Act immediately if elected.
While the Progressive Conservatives have signalled their support for anti-Islamophobia legislation through former government house leader Paul Calandra’s comments in the legislature, the exact details remain to be seen, said Mustafa Farooq, chief executive of the National Council of Canadian Muslims.
“While the government didn’t have time to take this through the committee process now, they were committed to ensuring a version of this piece of legislation would come back if they were re-elected,” he said Tuesday.
“We want to see government prioritize the passage of this act. We’re disappointed it didn’t happen, but we’re appreciative of their commitment to bring back something if re-elected.”
The Our London Family Act is a response to the alleged hate-motivated crash last June that killed four members of the Afzaal family. London police at the time said the family was targeted because of their Muslim faith.
Talat Afzaal, 74, her son Salman Afzaal, 46, his wife Madiha Salman, 44, and their daughter Yumnah, 15, were struck and killed by a pickup truck in Hyde Park while out for an evening walk on June 6, 2021. The family’s nine-year-old son was badly hurt.
Nathaniel Veltman of London is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. A trial is set for 12 weeks beginning Sept. 5, 2023.
Farooq said anti-Islamophobia legislation is needed urgently in Ontario to address ongoing threats, discrimination and violence against the Muslim community.
“Regardless of whatever side you fall on the political spectrum, what we’re calling for are pretty common sense changes that we’re urging to be made a priority item when the legislature returns,” he said. “I don’t want to go to any more funerals.”
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