Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriquez rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. Canadian Heritage has changed its vetting process for how it hands out money for community and anti-racism projects, just months after it cut funds to an organization that represented antisemetic views. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
OTTAWA – Canadian Heritage has changed the way it vets funding requests for community and anti-racism projects after it cut ties with an organization that was accused of antisemitism.
The federal government suspended a contract with the Community Media Advocacy Centre back in August after it gave the group $133,000 for projects to help combat anti-racism.
Ottawa’s relationship with the group ended after media reported that a senior consultant had posted what federal ministers described as antisemitic content on Twitter.
The associate deputy minister of Canadian Heritage, Mala Khanna, says those applying for money will now have to put in writing that they will not espouse hate or discriminate.
She says the minister has the power to immediately terminate a contract if its terms are violated and department staff have received anti-racism and antisemitism training.
Khanna says the new vetting process will also allow the government to review the social media accounts of the staff of organizations that apply for government funding.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 13, 2022.
