SURREY – Surrey-Guildford MLA Garry Begg, who is also the BC Government Whip introduced a Motion in the Legislature on Monday calling for a “more inclusive province”.
The Motion reads “Be it resolved that this House unanimously condemns racism in all its forms and commit to building a more inclusive province through anti-racism.”
“It isn’t enough to talk about it. We must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. We must work at it” said Begg who outlined a series of examples from across Canada and in British Columbia that he said illustrated that systemic racism is a problem.
From the Komagata Maru incident to Ukrainian Canadians being branded as enemy aliens during World War 2, and Japanese Canadians being interned in the BC Interior, Begg said “these and countless examples of systemic racism, and the stories of racist incidents that continue to emerge are deeply troubling. As a government we are committed to building a province that is safe and welcoming for everyone, and this goal must extend to our classrooms, our law enforcement, our hospitals, and our communities” Begg said.
MLA Begg is well remembered in the South Asian community in Surrey for his extensive work with various groups and organizations while he was a senior Officer at the Surrey RCMP Detachment. As an elected Member of Legislative Assembly, he has been representing the Surrey-Guildford riding in Victoria since the 2017 Provincial Election.
