Race prevents Kemptville woman from applying for job
ctvottawa.ca
Updated: Wed Jul. 21 2010 6:08:12 PM
A Kemptville woman can't believe the federal government won't allow white people to apply for an administrative assistant job with Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
Sara Landriault found the job posting while she was doing a job hunt online. Although she felt she was qualified for the job, she was blocked from submitting her resume because she was not an aboriginal or visible minority.
“This one was pretty close to my criteria, so I thought I would just try it out,” Landriault told CTV Ottawa on Wednesday.
The application required Landriault to indicate if she was white, aboriginal or a visible minority. When she indicated that she was white, she could not proceed any further.
“It stopped dead. You do not meet the criteria,' and it gave me a list of what the criteria was if you were non-white Latino, if you were non-white this, or if you were visible minority or aboriginal you could apply.”
Government response
Citizenship and Immigration Canada did not respond to CTV Ottawa's request for an interview.
However, CTV did speak to the Public Service Commission of Canada, which overseas more than 20,000 federal government hires.
The agency says job postings exclusively for aboriginals or visible minorities make up about one per cent of all jobs available.
“We want to target some competitions where we specifically attract these equity groups,” said Paula Green of the Public Service Commission of Canada.
She added there are plenty of other opportunities for candidates like Landriault.
Strong language
Still, a University of Ottawa law professor says the language in the job posting Landriault found is stronger than she's seen in the past.
“If the public service and federal government paid more attention to the requirement of this act before, maybe now they wouldn't be in the position to put a bit of pressure,” said Lucie Lamarche.
Regardless, Landriault says she'd rather give up the perks of a government job than work for an employer that doesn't see her rights as equal.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's John Hua
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| 40 Comment(s)
Non Whites, Immigrants, and Criminals wanted
Pretty soon our government will be run by non-whites, immigrants, and criminals, and we will be slaves.
See, this started with French. If you didn't have french, you couldn't work for the Feds. Now they are doing the Aboriginal, and Non-White thing. What's next, you have to have been a prisoner in a Federal Institution, or have been a Taliban. Where does it stop? Answer, if you don't stop it at the beginning, there is no stopping.
Mr. D.
Reverse discrimination rears its ugly head once again. I've known for years that immigrants get better treatment in my country than actual Canadians. Arizona has the right idea…
Karen
Im Algonquin from Maniwaki Quebec.. Ive been looking for employment with the PSC for years now and cannot find anything.. I've been screened out of clerical inventories, even though I have 10 years experience.. I can understand in some ways Ms. Lauriault's frustrations, but I know that the government has designed some positions to target employment equity, for those who are underrepresented in the workforce. I don't believe that employment equity is even being enforced.
OntarioMack
This is a blatant display of discrimination and should not be tolerated in these times. However it is exactly what I would expect from Our Canadian Government. It is time we Vote in a Government which is to represent all of the Canadian citizens as equal no matter the color of there skin, religion, or language. Though we know that is not going to happen. We see it all the time with the french demanding their rights and the english right being stomped on everyday. It's time we stop the tail wagging the dog.
dave
Welcome to the land of the strong and brave; hold it, wrong country !
Welcome to the land of the political correct at any cost.
OntaioMack
According to the CHRA, “all individuals should have an equal opportunity to make themsellves the lives that they are able and wish to have.” It also states that indivuals should have their needs accommodated, consisent with their duties and obligations as members of society, without being hiondered by discrimination based on the factors or “prohibited grounds” listed. Race, National or Ethnic origin, Colour, Religion, Age, Sex, Sexual orintation, Marital status, Family status, Disability, Criminal conviction for which a pardon has been granted.
John Daintree
Typical government incompetence and stupidity
Jim from Ottawa
This just re-inforces what I have been saying for years. Plush, secure, pensionable jobs offered by the federal and provincial governments are tainted by discrimination towards whites. Especially white, english, males. I suspect this lady speaks french (maybe not) so at least she has that leg up. Canada, and particularly mcginnys ontario cater to the refugee. They cater to the canadian of convenience. They cater to the visible minority and the non white. These people qualify for the canadian pension plan after being a citizen FIVE years. All is lost. Wake up people. Last time I checked the majority of canadians who fought and died in the wars, and fight and die in afghanistan..were you guessed it..white english. They have all been BETRAYED!.
George
And we wonder why government is so inefficient? I don't know if Ms. Landriault is the most qualified for this position or not but obviously we'll never know.
In the private sector, we consider all candidates who appear to be qualified for a position – regardless of the color of their skin – and then choose the one who will likely be the most successful.
In the public service, apparently there is no concern about who really is most qualified. We just want to know that the color of their skin is one we are targeting this month.
Pitiful.
Col from Ottawa
The job's listed as expired so I couldn't check the complete description and language requirements. But I bet it wasn't “bilingual imperative” like so many of the PSC jobs are. The two admin ass't jobs currently posted on the psc site both require bilingualism and I don't recall either mentioning race. Being of a certain race should not be a requirement of hiring. Being the right fit in terms of education, skills and experience should be. Too bad our politically correct gov't can't see that. Excluding one race to compete for jobs (and let's face it, there are too many people chasing too few jobs today and jobs that pay what that one paid for admin assts are rare) while approving others is disciminatory, no matter how you slice it.
Jim Martyn
Why is this news worthy. The same thing has been happening to white men for the last 20 years. I personally was prevented from applying for a number of faculty position in 2003-2005. As I was finishing my PhD in Chemistry I found 6 advertised faculty positions, 5 of which required the applicant to be able to qualify for an NSERC faculty award. NSERC faculty awards are only available to women.
Although section 15 of the Charter guarantees equality, section 15 (2) states that any “program or activity that has as its object the amelioration of conditions of disadvantaged individuals or groups” is ok.
The main problem with this is there is no onus on the person or organization that is discriminating, and yes it is discrimination (15 (2) allows it, it does not redefine it), to provide evidence of the conditions which are apparently being ameliorated, thus leaving the person being discriminated with no legal way of defending their selves from said discrimination.
Travis
Burn!!!!!!!
That's unfortunate.
I think there's going too far – if the person is qualified, the person is qualified – race should always be an exemption.
I don't care where it is – in government, in a restaraunt, or in the bathroom – color should never be used as an excuse to disqualify someone.
What ever happened to equal opportunity?
David
This is great, because as we all know, your race/color has so much more effect on your job performance than our experience and education.
Cara
Just try getting a job in the government if you don't speak French !! Next to impossible.
Peter, Ottawa
After how many years of affirmative action will white people get a chance to be an equity group?
We are occasionally informed that whites have become minorities in BC, Toronto and other jurisdictions. When will “white” become a visible minority?
Linda In Valley
Welcome to the new hiring code.
Marie
I am not suprize at the government brain dead people in these department. When I worked for Stats Can I was passed over for promotion because my last name was not french.Crazy thing is that I am fully billingual and both my mother and father were french from La Belle Province, but I chose to take my husband name when I married. Discrimination existed then and will always be there because it is out of control.I am ashame of what they are doing but there is no one to stop them.It is my greatest hope that someone will wake up and smell the flower or coffe.
Yeah, so?
…and who fights for the rights of non-French speaking individuals qualified for those jobs that they can't apply too??? It isn't simply the obvious “face” of racism in this sector – it goes well beyond that !
Donna
Isn't this considered racism to prevent someone from applying for a job because of their race? Even if that person happens to be a white person?
And what has happened to hiring the best qualified person for the job?
Absolutely totally disgusted!!
Why isn't the Human Rights Commission outraged that someone has been prevented from applying for a job on the basis of race?
phil
are you kidding me? Literally thousands of jobs that unilingual Anglophones or Francophones cannot apply for because of language requirements and this woman chooses the less than 1% that she cannot apply for to complain about? How about the other 99 jobs she CAN or DID apply for? Sounds like sour grapes to me…
P. Nasrella
Please remember that these hiring opportunities are a reactive measure, meaning that the existing workforce does not represent the population adequately in the public service and is only attempting to balance a skewed workforce. What seems unfair for one woman now, is a corrective action to correct hundreds or thousands of unfair hirings that already took place before her.
….
There is no rights, There is no freedom and there is no freedom of choice. Its called life, Humans, and what we allowed and accepted to rule us. Humans.. lol
Travis in Ottawa
We can thank Mulroney for this actually, with his Employment Equity Act (can you see the irony?)
Although a noble thought (so remove racism/sexism/etc from the hiring process, the moment they put in 'Targets' for each of the 4 targeted groups they screwed the whole thing up.
Also, you this story is about a white female not being able to apply, what isn't mentioned here is that there are other postings where they can limit the field to have only women apply. TO be more specific, any combination can be chosen from the 4 EE (Employment Equity) groups if the manager so chooses. These groups are women, visible minorities, aboriginals and people with disabilities.
Basically, EE allows hiring campaigns to be targeted at(therefor giving an advantage to) any specific group EXCEPT white men. Employment -equity- you say? Just a new form of unjust hiring I say.
JP in Ottawa
ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!! yes you are white but you are still a visible minority. I am a white MALE!!!! now talk to me about it. This is a waste of time, because it is a woman it is news, but it happens to men all the time!
Dennis R
Nothing new to me, Iv'e been saying this for years, if you are a Male, White, English speaking only, over 40 you are not wanted PERIOD.
Of course it is going to be a big stink now that they have crossed the line to include women in this.
News Flash: look up # 15.1 in the Charter of rights that reads:
( Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protectio and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origian, colour,reloigion,sex, age or mentalor physicial disability!!!!
The problem here is that both the Federal and Provincial Governments operate ubove this law with impunity and don't give a dam about you and our Charter of Rights and it's all due to the hiring practices they instatuted which clearly states in matters not if they are qualified for the position it only maters if they are a monority.
All that should be important is the most qualified person is the one hired that way we don't need to hire four mor to watch over the one hired to help her/him do the job hired for but is unable to do so!!!!
Welcome to my Canada which is now going to be their Canada because they don't like it as it was so they have set out to make it like it is where they come from.
Please Please give us back our Canada, our laws not theirs our land not theirsand our home not theirs, unless of course they are willing to work within our laws and rules and not circcumvent or Charter of Rights!!
Let's see if they will post this one?
Libbe
Such an interesting situation. In this country we go to great lengths to make sure the workplace reflects the population. However our military is in Afghanistan trying to do basically the same thing and most of the lives lost represent the Anglo White Males group. Where are representatives of all the other groups? So much “taking” and so little “giving”.
rmsbl4
It might not happen in the next few years but in Can & the U.S. whites will be a minority.
Why not post ads as follows: if you can read this job placement you are eligible to apply.
Reverse racial profiling. So much for equal opportunity or is that not allowed in Canada.
Do they have job announcements that say whites only may apply, I DON'T THINK SO.
Mlle J.
If the story was the other way around none of the people who have placed a comment would care. Minorities get discriminated against everyday and few seem to mind but when a white lady doesn't get the job she wanted it's the biggest deal. Poor white lady!! Meanwhile, most immigrant applicants don't even get a call back for an interview because they get screened because of their names. By the way, they get screened by the white man most of the time.
lyndsey
I've known about this for a long time as I often come across these requirements. Often you only need to have graduated high school and french is not mandatory. I went to college and took french from Gr 1 to Gr 9 but not sure where I fall under the gov't french testing.
White is now a minority in Canada's big cities. The non white people at work get away with stuff I can't( like leaving early every day and taking very long breaks) that my white boss would tell me (who is white) not to do (I tried!) I feel like I am being dinged for being white.
Graham
Welcome to Canada. You can not discriminate against anyone in this country, UNLESS you're a hard working able bodied white person. This burns me so much.
reidjr
Karen
In some areas some beleave they have pushed this to far and now women and minioritys have a big advabntage over white angelphone males.
Edgar Dung
What did you all expect after roughly 20 years of Liberal rule? It has now in vogue to favour all non-whites in every aspect of Canadian life, from jobs, immigration and the legal system. White children are now programmed to believe that they are inferior to non-whites and that only whites can be racist.
Give the Conservatives several majority governments in a row and we may *finally* begin to see a shift back.
Keep voting Liberal and NDP, and soon whites will be in concentration camps.
Dan, Smiths Falls
If I were to put out a job posting that said “White Construction worker wanted” I believe I would have a lawsuit on my hands, not to mention death threats. Only the government could get away with this nonsense. But we as Canadians are to blame for it, we're good at complaining but we never do anything to stop it. The Ottawa Fire Service is doing the same hiring practices; however, they will accept your resume and money, but will favour non-white people in the interview process.
I'm thankful my Granddad fought for this country's freedom to discriminate against his own family.
reidjr
phil
Thats not the point this is racism.
Citizen
Oh please.. there is nothing wrong with this.. Read the study on call-backs for jobs for applicants with “white” sounding names vs applicants with “foreign” sounds names (Marianne Bertrand with Chicago's Graduate School of Business and Sendhil Mullainathan with MIT).
Karen Bertrand
I believe there are lots of people being discriminated against in Ottawa.
I grew up out west and took what French classes were offered but can't speak French. Try to find a job in business here in Ottawa without French and you are out of luck. If French was so important how come it wasn't enforced more in Alberta and B.C. where I grew up? Is Canada still not English?
How is a 36 year old suppose to find a job in Ottawa. I've been here for 15 months and everything I apply for needs French. Maybe I have some native in me b/c my family came to Canada in 1600's but I can't prove it. What is a unemployed mother of 3 to do? Move to Alberta and leave my husband here? Not fair in a country that prides itself on being fair.
VN
JIM FROM OTTAWA I'll have you know that my father is white FRENCH and he fought in the war in Afghanistan and most the men and women he was there with where Bilingual. I suggest you respect them as well and avoid generalizing! educate yourself before making false statements. I am 100% Bilingual and I feel we should all be treated equally.
Sean
To the person who posted the following:
“Non Whites, Immigrants, and Criminals wanted
Pretty soon our government will be run by non-whites, immigrants, and criminals, and we will be slaves.
See, this started with French. If you didn't have french, you couldn't work for the Feds. Now they are doing the Aboriginal, and Non-White thing. What's next, you have to have been a prisoner in a Federal Institution, or have been a Taliban. Where does it stop? Answer, if you don't stop it at the beginning, there is no stopping.”
You are an idiot. Your life would be much easier if you came to terms with this.
MP
This is discrimination no matter how you try and explain otherwise.
dwayne-ottawa
I am the new minority WHITE MID 40's ENGLISH SPEAKING. I have been working for the federal government since 1981 however never full time, always as a contractor. It is impossible to get in if you do not speak french however the only requirement for french is the ottawa-montreal region. Hell they dont even pay the bilingual bonus if your out of the region. Say your are totally bilingual but you work in winnipeg, you do not qualify for your 800.00 bilingual bonus because for some reason that i can not understand there are no bilingual positions outside of the above mentioned area. Oh yes BTW dont ever try to apply to work at Indian and Northern Affairs if your a white male, you are wasting your time because you also do not meet the reqirements.
