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FederalIssuesGuide

2018

cija.ca The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs is the advocacy agent of the Jewish Federations of Canada

2019

At CIJA, we believe in the foundational democratic freedoms and values of Canadian society.

We are committed to working with government and all like-minded groups to ensure that Canada remains a country where all citizens – irrespective of gender, race or creed – enjoy equal protections and opportunities.

Who We AreThe Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) is the advocacy agent of the Jewish Federations of Canada. We are a national, non-partisan, non-profit organization, representing tens of thousands of Jewish Canadians affiliated through local Federations across the country.

Our MissionTo improve the quality of Jewish life in Canada by advancing the public policy interests of Canada’s organized Jewish community.

What We DoWe connect the power of a strong, national network to regional efforts in every Canadian province and, as the Canadian affiliate of the World Jewish Congress, to similar initiatives worldwide.

We build relationships with leaders in government, media, academia, civil society and other faith and ethnic communities to ensure greater understanding of the issues that impact the Jewish community and all Canadians.

We combat antisemitism and discrimination in all its forms and advocate for fundamental rights and freedoms, social justice, and support for the people of Israel.

Canadian.Jewish.Advocacy.

CIJA Federal Issues Guide 2018 - 2019 @cijainfo | www.cija.ca2

Advocacy Success in 2017CIJA was at the forefront of some of the most important Canadian policy issues in 2017 and the first half of 2018. CIJA is proud to have actively supported various key public policy developments that benefit all Canadians, including:

Protecting the rights of Canadians by banning genetic discrimination (Bill S-201)

Establishing a national framework to improve palliative care (Bill C-277)

Opening Canada’s National Holocaust Monument

Strengthening Canada’s hate crime laws

(Bill C-305)

Supporting community security by doubling the budget of the Security Infrastructure Program

Committing to a formal apology for the historic injustice of the MS St. Louis

Protecting Trans people from hate and discrimination (Bill C-16)

Renewing and modernizing the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement

Maintaining Momentum in 2018-2019Building upon recent successes, CIJA will be engaging MPs and Senators from all parties on a range of emerging issues and priorities in the 2018-19 parliamentary year, including:

Combating antisemitism and hate in all its forms

Advancing inclusion for people with disabilities

Countering radicalization and terrorism

Improving Canada’s immigration and refugee system

Strengthening palliative care

Advancing peace and countering anti-Israel initiatives

Changing the Iranian regime’s behaviour

Empowering Canada’s First Nations

Strengthening the volunteer sector


Combating Antisemitism &

Hate in all FormsCIJA Federal Issues Guide 2018 - 2019 @cijainfo | www.cija.ca4

Recommendation

The Government of Canada and relevant departments and agencies should adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism for domestic Canadian purposes.

Hate cannot be effectively tackled without clear definitions. For the purposes of Canada’s foreign policy, like governments worldwide, Global Affairs Canada has officially endorsed the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. It includes clear parameters and concrete examples to distinguish antisemitic rhetoric from legitimate political discourse. The full definition may be found at:

cija.ca/policy-brief-ihra-defining-antisemitism/

Recommendation

The Government of Canada should further improve the Security Infrastructure Program (SIP) to increase support for at-risk communities. This could include increasing the SIP’s annual budget, raising the $100,000 cap on grants, and allowing funds to be used for training staff and volunteers in security procedures.

The Jewish community and other at-risk groups spend millions of dollars annually to protect the children, families, and individuals who use communal facilities. These expenses include installing security systems, hiring guards, and training staff and volunteers. While the federal government’s Security Infrastructure Program (SIP) helps some institutions cover the costs of physical security infrastructure, the program does not fund training or personnel costs.

Recommendation

The Government of Canada should strengthen law enforcement capacity to combat hate. These efforts should include federal support for the establishment of dedicated hate crime units within police agencies that currently lack them, improving the tracking of hate crime trends and data collection, and strengthening legal tools to counter hate speech.

In 2013, Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act was removed by an act of Parliament. Section 13 was an effective but flawed tool in combating hate speech. Its absence has left a gap in the effort to protect Canadians from hate speech, which could be resolved several ways. For example, the federal government could consider legislation to replace Section 13 with a provision that effectively balances free speech and protection from hate. Alternatively, the federal government could offer training and guidelines to help provincial attorneys general, prosecutors, and police to more effectively enforce Criminal Code hate speech provisions.

Strengthening Legal Tools to Prevent the Spread of Hate

While most Canadians reject antisemitism and all forms of hatred, bigotry persists at the margins of society. Statistics Canada data consistently confirm that the Jewish community is the most frequently targeted religious minority when it comes to hate crime. In recent years, antisemitic incidents have included hate mail sent to synagogues, graffiti at Jewish institutions, anti-Jewish commentary on talk radio, and hateful discourse and vandalism accompanying Israel boycott campaigns on some university campuses. Other communities – including Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Black, and LGBTQ+ Canadians – are also victims of bigotry. Countering antisemitism and other forms of hate is a complex challenge requiring a multi-faceted policy response.


Advancing Inclusion for People with

DisabilitiesCIJA Federal Issues Guide 2018 - 2019 @cijainfo | www.cija.ca6

Recommendation

The Government of Canada should earmark a set allocation of affordable housing funds for people with disabilities. Specifically, 5% of affordable housing spending should be directed to support people with developmental disabilities.

Research confirms that affordable housing continues to be a significant challenge for this vulnerable segment of society. 90% of people with developmental disabilities live below the poverty line. 18% to 30% of homeless individuals have a developmental disability. There is currently a 40-year waiting list for affordable housing with supports for those with developmental disabilities.

Recommendation

All parties should support Bill C-81 (An Act to ensure a barrier-free Canada) and continue to work closely with Jewish social service agencies in developing policies and programs to advance inclusion.

In June 2018, the Government of Canada introduced the Accessible Canada Act (Bill C-81). CIJA has advocated for a federal accessibility / inclusion law during our national disability policy “fly-ins” for the past two years as part of Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month in partnership with JFC-UIA, Federations, and Jewish social service agencies across Canada. Key elements of the Act, including the creation of an Accessibility Commissioner and strong compliance and enforcement provisions, mirror proposals CIJA and Jewish agencies raised with the government.

Supporting the Accessible Canada Act and Prioritizing Housing for People with Disabilities

Despite significant progress in advancing inclusion, more must be done to support people with disabilities struggling with poverty. This challenge is particularly acute for individuals with developmental disabilities. Affordable housing is a vital part of the solution.

18-30% of homeless individuals have a developmental disability.

90% of people with developmental disabilities live below the poverty line.


Countering Radicalization & Terrorism


Protecting Canadians – Especially Youth – from Extreme Ideologies

Recommendation

The Government of Canada should launch a national strategy to combat online hate and radicalization, with a focus on protecting young people from those promoting extreme messages.

Young people are particularly susceptible to digital misinformation and extremism, as has been evident in recent high-profile cases of radicalized Canadians. The Government of Canada should launch a national strategy, informed by a Parliamentary study, to tackle this phenomenon. The study should include consultations with stakeholders engaged in combating hate as well as those involved in preventing the spread of online hate and recruitment. These include not-for-profits and academics, as well as social media companies, internet service providers and experts in new media and technology, including encryption software and artificial intelligence. A national strategy should include educational tools to help young Canadians resist the lure of extreme ideologies while improving internet literacy and critical thinking.

Recommendation

Parliament should amend Bill C-59 (An Act respecting national security matters) to ensure the definition of “counselling terrorism offences” continues to apply to those who counsel terrorism to a broad audience rather than solely to a specific person.

Currently, the bill changes the offence from “advocacy and promotion” to “every person who counsels another person to commit a terrorism offence.” This appears to restrict the definition to someone counselling a specific individual. In contrast, the Criminal Code’s description of the offence of instructing a terrorist activity explicitly applies whether or not the accused instructs a particular person to carry out the activity or even knows the identity of the person so instructed. The same standard should apply to the definition of counselling a terrorism offence in C-59.

Recommendation

Given the serious nature of advocating genocide and terrorism-related offences, Parliament should amend Bill C-75 (An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and other Acts) to ensure these crimes remain indictable offences.

Bill C-75 is a significant effort to modernize Canada’s justice system and reduce backlog in the court system. It “hybridizes” most indictable offences that have a maximum penalty of ten years or less, while increasing the maximum penalty of summary offences to two years less a day. Making the criminal justice system more efficient and responsive is an important goal. However, advocating genocide and terrorism-related offences (such as leaving Canada to commit a terrorism offence and advocating terrorism) should always be treated as an indictable offence and should, therefore, be exempt from the broad reclassification in C-75. These offences constitute a minute fraction of criminal cases in Canada. Reclassifying them as hybrid offences would have a negligible impact on the current backlog.

While Canada is one of the safest countries in the world, we must remain vigilant in protecting Canadians from the threat of terrorism and extremist violence – and the radical ideologies that fuel them. This requires ensuring Canada’s laws strike the right balance between preserving public safety and respecting individual rights and freedoms.

Experience demonstrates that extreme rhetoric and propaganda often foreshadow extreme violence. CIJA has therefore supported measures to criminalize the advocacy of terrorism and empower law enforcement to seize terrorist propaganda, as part of a broader effort to combat radicalization.


Improving Canada’s Immigration &

Refugee SystemCIJA Federal Issues Guide 2018 - 2019 @cijainfo | www.cija.ca10

Supporting Persecuted Minorities and Enforcing Removal Orders

Recommendation

As part of its efforts to improve the refugee process, the Government of Canada should ensure the system allows for rapid deployment of special allocations or emergency assistance for groups facing intense persecution, such as Yezidis in Iraq, LGBTQ+ people in Chechnya and Iran, and Rohingyas in Myanmar.

Canada’s unique and effective use of private sponsorships for refugees empowers Canadian communities to support newcomers. Synagogues and Jewish agencies such as Jewish Immigrant Aid Services (JIAS) have been at the forefront of this important work, most notably in the sponsorship of Syrian and Yezidi refugees.

Recommendation

The Government of Canada should streamline and expedite the enforcement of removal orders, particularly those issued on grounds of security or crimes against humanity.

Since 2015, 70 deportation orders have been issued on security grounds but – as of early 2018 – only 14 removals for individuals in this category have occurred. In one high-profile case, a former member of a Palestinian terror group continues to evade deportation despite proceedings against him having begun in 1992. As part of a broader effort to improve Canada’s refugee system, the federal government should establish a streamlined process to fix this serious deficiency. This effort should be guided by clear goals and deadlines. It would also benefit from the establishment of an inter-agency unit dedicated to the rapid implementation of removal orders, which would also allow for a case-specific approach to help address unacceptable, decades-long delays. Where necessary, Canada should level greater diplomatic pressure on countries that can safely receive – but have refused – citizens subject to a removal order.

Canadians can be proud that our country remains a global leader in welcoming refugees from troubled countries. Unfortunately, systemic deficiencies have created challenges in the refugee process, resulting in a backlog in applications – which now take an estimated 20 months to complete. In June 2018, an independent review of the Immigration and Refugee Board called for significant changes to streamline and expedite the asylum process. In considering reforms, the Government of Canada should strive to make the system more responsive to those who most need it, while protecting Canadians from individuals who should not be allowed to remain in Canada. The latter is especially critical when it comes to cases involving security concerns or crimes against humanity.

Synagogues and Jewish agencies have been at the forefront of supporting Syrian and Yezidi refugees.


Improving Palliative Care


Building a National Plan to Strengthen Palliative Care Education and Access

Recommendation

The Government of Canada’s national framework on palliative care should include specific goals, requirements and timeframes for improving education and expanding access to high-quality palliative care services.

CIJA consulted widely on this issue within Canada’s Jewish community, gathering insights from grassroots Canadians and experts on how to improve palliative care. Those recommendations, including a set of policy proposals for federal, provincial, and territorial governments, may be found in CIJA’s report, Strengthening Palliative Care in Canada, at www.cija.ca.

Recommendation

The federal government should increase funding for the provinces and territories to expand homecare and hospice care.

Federal funding can be crucial in helping the provinces and territories improve access for underserved and vulnerable communities. Emphasis should be made on overcoming linguistic, ethno-cultural, social, and geographic barriers to palliative care. Strategic funding, creative use of technology, and partnerships with ethno-cultural community agencies can all help resolve this challenge.

Palliative care is an issue that has the potential to touch every Canadian family. Currently, only 16-30% of Canadians have access to palliative care. The majority of care providers have little or no training in palliative care. With seniors expected to comprise a quarter of the population by 2036, these and other deficiencies must be addressed now if we are to ensure every Canadian has the option to receive high-quality palliative care when needed.

CIJA co-led a broad interfaith coalition to champion Bill C-277 (An Act providing for the development of a framework on palliative care in Canada), which passed with unanimous approval in 2017. The bill requires the Minister to establish a national framework on palliative care and report on it to Parliament by the end of 2018.

Only 16-30% of Canadians have access to palliative care.


Advancing Peace and Countering

Anti-Israel InitiativesCIJA Federal Issues Guide 2018 - 2019 @cijainfo | www.cija.ca14

Supporting Initiatives to Build Peace from the Ground Up and Opposing Efforts to Isolate Israelis in Global Forums

Recommendation

Canada should continue publicly opposing efforts to isolate Israel in international forums such as the UN General Assembly, UN Human Rights Council, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and La Francophonie. The misuse of these institutions not only unfairly targets Israelis but also undermines peace and distracts attention from the world’s most pressing challenges.

Canada has enjoyed seven decades of friendship with Israel based on shared democratic values. Reflecting a mutual commitment to the values and charter of the United Nations, Canada has played a key role in helping Israel contribute fully at international institutions and in countering efforts to exclude it from multilateral bodies. Unfortunately, some states, including many of the world’s worst human rights violators, regularly attempt to misuse UN bodies and other global forums as platforms to isolate Israel.

Recommendation

Canada should continue building peace from the ground up through initiatives that help reduce Palestinian terrorism and incitement, grow the Palestinian economy, and foster Israeli-Palestinian cooperation.

CIJA supports two states for two peoples, achieved through a negotiated, bilateral peace accord. Canada can help build peace from the ground up through practical initiatives. CIJA has consistently supported Canadian aid for the Palestinian people via the Diplomatic Representative Office in Ramallah. This approach, rather than grants to agencies with accountability challenges, has been effective in delivering results for Palestinians. Canada should also press the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA to take serious measures to end anti-Israel incitement in Palestinian society, especially in schools. As a donor to UNRWA, Canada should urge the agency to hold accountable all UNRWA officials whose anti-Israel advocacy violates its pledge of neutrality – while also doing more to prevent Hamas from stealing Palestinian aid.

Canada should continue strengthening ties with Israel, an important ally and fellow liberal democracy. This is entirely compatible with Canadian support for legitimate Palestinian aspirations. Canada can help Palestinians and promote peace while firmly defending Israel’s basic rights. This includes the right to identify as a Jewish state, to be treated as an equal member of the global community, and to protect its people from security threats.

According to UN Watch, 103 out of 123 (84%) of UN General Assembly resolutions criticizing a single country passed between 2012 and 2016 targeted Israel.

In the past decade, Canada has voted against most anti-Israel resolutions brought forward in a series of annual General Assembly votes on the Israeli-Arab conflict.


Changing the Iranian Regime’s

BehaviourCIJA Federal Issues Guide 2018 - 2019 @cijainfo | www.cija.ca16

Countering Iran’s Human Rights Abuses, Genocidal Threats, and Sponsorship of Terrorism

Recommendation

The Government of Canada should ensure that any renewal of ties with Iran is directly linked to clear benchmarks and concrete improvements in the regime’s behaviour. Existing sanctions and restrictions on Iran should not be relaxed, and diplomatic ties should not be fully restored, as long as the regime continues to violate the rights of Iranians, sponsor terrorism, and seek Israel’s destruction.

On June 12, 2018, in a 248-to-45 vote, the House of Commons passed a motion urging the Government of Canada “to immediately cease any and all negotiations or discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran to restore diplomatic relations.”

The P5+1 nuclear agreement led to the dissolution of the UN’s sanctions architecture. While some Canadian sanctions were lifted as a result, Canada has maintained independent sanctions under the Special Economic Measures Act (SEMA) – which isolate officials and entities connected to Iran’s human rights violations, terrorism, and elements of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Recommendation

Canada should apply restrictions on key Iranian officials through the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (“Magnitsky Law”).

Under the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act, the Government of Canada can freeze assets or deny entry to foreign nationals who have not been held accountable in their home countries for human rights abuses. Known as the “Magnitsky Law,” this vital tool has already been used to sanction dozens of perpetrators from various countries. When applied, the law sends a powerful message that foreign officials involved in human rights abuses cannot travel and conduct business around the world with impunity.

Recommendation

Canada should advocate for counter-measures to be re-imposed on Iran via the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

For the past decade, the FATF – of which Canada is an active member – has designated Iran a threat to the global financial system and urged members to exercise enhanced due diligence when dealing with Iran. In 2009, the FATF instituted counter-measures as a result of Iran’s failure to address these grave concerns. In 2016, the FATF temporarily suspended counter-measures following a pledge from Iran to take concrete actions to combat money laundering (AML) and terrorism financing (CFT).

Despite suspension of counter-measures for two years, Iran has failed to address the necessary reforms cited by the FATF. Worse, Iranian legislation in response to the FATF’s requests includes loopholes to allow Iran to continue funding actions taken by nations, groups, or “liberation” organizations “for the purpose of putting an end to foreign occupation, colonialism, and racism” – i.e. Hezbollah, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Canada has had full diplomatic relations with Iran for just six of the last 38 years. Despite the signing of the P5+1 nuclear agreement, the Iranian regime remains a major threat to global peace and security. Canada and the international community should continue holding Iran accountable for its violations of the human rights of Iranians (including Canadian citizens in Iran), sponsorship of terrorism abroad, and genocidal threats to Israel. In June 2018, the Public Safety Minister confirmed that the process to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) as a banned terrorist entity will proceed. This is an important development for which CIJA has long advocated.


Supporting the Revitalization of

Indigenous LanguagesCIJA Federal Issues Guide 2018 - 2019 @cijainfo | www.cija.ca18

Supporting the Revitalization of Indigenous Languages

Recommendation

The Government of Canada should proceed with legislation and programming to protect and revitalize Indigenous languages in Canada, drawing on the experience of Israelis in restoring the Hebrew language.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, Israelis made history by successfully revitalizing Hebrew (the Indigenous language of the Jewish people) from a language of religious text to one of everyday use. The Jewish experience of renewing an ancestral language after centuries of dislocation and adversity can serve as a unique model for the Government of Canada and First Nations partners looking to preserve Aboriginal languages.

Recommendation

Language is a fundamental part of cultural expression and identity. In the Government of Canada’s crucial work to advance truth and reconciliation in partnership with Canada’s First Nations, more must be done to ensure the next generation of Indigenous Canadians has an opportunity to connect with the language of their families and communities. According to Statistics Canada, in 2016, 15.6% of the Aboriginal population were able to converse in an Aboriginal language – down from 21.4% in 2006.

In 2015, CIJA was honoured to support the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and present a statement of solidarity with Canada’s Indigenous peoples on behalf of six Jewish organizations. Pursuant to the TRC’s 94 calls to action, which included First Nations language rights, the Government of Canada has prioritized the revitalization of Indigenous languages. In addition to developing legislation to advance this objective (which is expected to be tabled in the coming months), the Government of Canada pledged, in its 2017 budget, $90 million over three years to “preserve, protect and revitalize” Indigenous languages.

From 2006 to 2016, the proportion of the Aboriginal population able to converse in an Aboriginal language fell from 21% to 15%.


Strengthening the Volunteer Sector


Amending Canada’s Tax Laws to Recognize the Value of Volunteering

Recommendation

The Government of Canada should amend federal tax laws to recognize the value of volunteering.

There are a variety of models that should be explored in designing this policy. For example, to incentivize youth volunteering, a refundable tax credit is more likely to be successful than a non-refundable one. Consideration could also be made to limiting the availability of the credit to those below a certain age, or to those who volunteer for organizations involved in providing essential supports to the most vulnerable. Regardless of the parameters, any policy should require a minimum number of volunteer hours completed, a cap on the number of hours that may be claimed, and simple but effective reporting requirements on the part of eligible charities to ensure accountability.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of the charitable sector. Without an active base of volunteers, countless programs and services provided to society’s most vulnerable simply would not be possible. According to Statistics Canada, more than four in ten people over the age of fifteen undertake some form of volunteer work each year. In total, Canadians perform nearly two billion hours of volunteer work annually – the equivalent of approximately one million full-time jobs.

Data show that youths are the most likely to volunteer. For many young Canadians, volunteering provides an opportunity to develop practical skills, begin a career based on one’s interests, and learn the value of giving back to one’s community early in life. For retired Canadians, volunteering provides an opportunity to offer one’s career skills and life experience for the benefit of others.

Volunteers account for two billion hours of work or over one million full-time jobs in Canada.


CIJA Near YouCIJA has representatives in cities across Canada. To learn about the issues that matter most to the Jewish community in your constituency, please contact us at [email protected].

CIJA Federal Issues Guide 2018 @cijainfo | www.cija.ca22

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