VICTORIA—B.C. Conservatives voted today for a bill by MLA Tara Armstrong to repeal the B.C. Human Rights Code, which prevents discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability, and other characteristics.
“The Human Rights Code was created to ensure that everyone would be treated fairly, so that if you had a turban on and went into a restaurant, you would not be denied service,” said Delta North MLA Ravi Kahlon. “So that if you were Chinese-Canadian, you would be able to get employment based on your qualifications and not your race. To see the B.C. Conservatives vote in favour of eliminating those rights is unacceptable.”
Surrey B.C. Conservative MLAs Trevor Halford, Mandeep Dhaliwal, Linda Hepner, Bryan Tepper, and Brent Chapman supported the bill.
Although the B.C. Conservatives claim they supported it at first reading because of tradition, they voted against OneBC bills at first reading three times in the fall session. Former B.C. Conservative MLA Elenore Sturko also voted against it.
“The B.C. Conservatives have voted down other bills at first reading, but when it came to basic rights for millions of British Columbians, they voted to rip them away,” said Attorney General Niki Sharma. “Repealing the Human Rights Code would mean a woman could be paid less just because she’s a woman, a family could be denied housing because of the colour of their skin, and a person of faith could be fired over their religion.”
The B.C. Human Rights Code was created in 1969, originally focused on protections against discrimination based on racism, religion, ancestry, and skin colour.
“Generations before us fought and sacrificed for equality and basic human rights,” said Surrey-Newton MLA Jessie Sunner. “I have spent my career fighting to protect people against discrimination, and human rights should never be up for political debate. It is deeply disappointing that Surrey’s Conservative MLAs failed our community today.”
Ravi Kahlon addressed news media in the legislature shortly after the vote. Video of his comments is available here.
Video of Premier David Eby’s comments in the legislature is available here.