Saint John Common Council has passed a motion to petition provincial and federal governments to make racial discrimination a punishable offence.
“Right now, it’s illegal to fish without a fishing licence but acts of racism can go unpunished,” said Dr. Tim Christie, regional director of ethics services for Horizon Health Network.
Christie presented before Saint John council Monday night as part of a motion sponsored by the city’s Mayor Don Darling.
On a municipal level, the motion would be referred to city staff to look into penalizing racial discrimination in the city.
The motion passed unanimously.
Council will now deliver a letter to New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs asking for legislative change through Matthew Martin, president of the Saint John Black Lives Matter movement.
“Mr. Martin has a meeting with the premier on Wednesday,” Darling says, “so from my perspective, we would move on all fronts at the same time.”
Martin was a driving force behind the city’s first Black Lives Matter movement, which drew a crowd of thousands on June 14.
He says council’s vote is big.
“Really, it’s a game-changer,” he says.
“There’s a lot of things that are happening in the city that are kind of great to see that is coming to light because of the movement.”
Darling says sponsoring the motion wasn’t a question.
“I’m a mayor, I’m a white guy, I enjoy privilege as a white person that others don’t get to enjoy,” he says, “so I think it’s incumbent on us to ask for these common-sense changes.”
Darling says he hopes to hear back from city staff in August.