Letters: Build a more inclusive and equitable society; no full authority for PCs

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Build a more inclusive and equitable society

In 1995, the Canadian House of Commons designated February as Black History Month. However, as a social work student and president of the Association des étudiant.es internationaux de l’Université de Moncton, I find myself grappling with crucial questions about the current reality.  

Before coming to Canada, I was unaware there was a month dedicated to Black history. Further readings revealed this recognition had several purposes, especially to emphasize the significant contributions of Black individuals to the growth of society. Nevertheless, I question the ability of everyone, especially the youth, to contribute.   

Friends and acquaintances my age struggle to pursue their dream careers due to prejudices, discrimination, systemic racism, and other forms of economic injustice.  

I am particularly concerned about the professional future of Black international students who come to Canada to study. Some recruited by Canadian institutions in their home countries end up in underpaid jobs predominantly occupied by women, such as caregiving occupations, creating a vicious cycle of financial insecurity.   

Moreover, qualified students may find themselves overqualified due to unrecognized degrees from their home countries, forcing them into lower-skilled positions. This situation can be intensified by biases related to the country of study. Government data shows racialized individuals have a high activity rate but face the highest unemployment rates and often hold underpaid and non-unionized positions, contributing to economic injustice. 

Undoubtedly, Black individuals – whether Canadian or international – contribute significantly to society as care workers, students, nurses, lawyers, professors etc. Let’s strive to create a New Brunswick where everyone can thrive regardless of their skin color. Through collective action, let’s build a more inclusive and equitable society.  We must also collaborate on adopting employment equity policies to combat biases in hiring and promotion, along with pay equity legislation to ensure fairness for all. 

Jovial Orlachi Osundu 

Moncton 

Higgs doesn’t have all authority

In your “Say more about social policy agenda” editorial, published on the February 14, 2024 you argue that “at the end of it all, Higgs has the authority to do what he wants. He has a majority government and the court have not, to date, stopped his efforts on gender policies.”

In the last election, 39.34 per cent of New Brunswick voters gave the Higgs conservatives a ‘YES’ vote.

Based on your argument then, should a Parti Quebecois obtain a ‘YES’ vote of 39.34 per cent, this would give them the authority to do whatever they want, and allow them to impose their political agenda on the majority of their people.

Once we pull the numbers and facts of the last election out of the shadow, your argument no longer stands on rational and democratic grounds. Talk about transparency.

Guy Vezina

Fredericton