Thank you for writing to me regarding violent extremism in Canada. I appreciate you taking the time to write to me with your concerns about this very important matter.

I would firstly like to extend my deepest condolences to all those affected by the senseless attack that took place in Christchurch, New Zealand. Canada stands with Muslim communities here in Canada, in New Zealand, and across the world as we grapple with this hateful act of terrorism. Islamophobia, hatred, and violence are not welcome anywhere, and they are certainly not welcome in Canada.

Canada is home to over a million Muslims, who live and thrive in our free and open secular democracy. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reiterated our collective responsibility to preserve this freedom, and to denounce those who spread hate or incite violence, stating in the House of Commons that "When we fail to denounce hatred with total conviction, we empower those people and legitimize their violence." We must confront and condemn Islamophobia, right-wing extremism, and hatred in all its forms, and work together to stop radicalization.

That is why our government has taken several steps to combat violent extremism and radicalization, including right-wing extremism. Since taking office, we have:

* Quadrupled federal funding for the Security Infrastructure Program meaning more communities than ever before are getting help in protecting themselves from hate-motivated crimes;
* Invested in research and programming addressing the right-wing extremism movement in Canada to support law enforcement, intelligence communities, policy makers, and community organizations to tackle hate crimes;
* Made countering radicalization to violence in all its forms, including right-wing extremism, the core mandate of the new Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence; and,
* Launched 'Canada ReDirect' to prevent potential extremists in Canada from accessing harmful online propaganda by presenting them with alternative websites.
Canadians can be confident that our law enforcement agencies, including the RCMP, respond to all groups that threaten public safety, regardless of their ideology, and will intervene whenever possible to prevent potential violence.

Canada also has one of the most comprehensive sets of laws against hate crimes and hate propaganda anywhere in the world. Sections 318 and 319 of the Criminal Code prohibit the most serious kinds of hate propaganda: the advocacy or promotion of genocide, the incitement of hatred likely to cause a breach of the peace, and the wilful promotion of hatred, when made against an identifiable group. Our government will continue working to make Canada stronger by ensuring that our laws and practices reflect the rich diversity of our people, and examining ways to counter radicalization.

As part of our wider efforts to combat racism and hatred in Canada, we are proposing to provide $45 million over three years through Budget 2019 to support a new Anti-Racism Strategy. Its key purpose will be to find ways to counter racism in its various forms, with a strong focus on community-based projects. At the core of this strategy will be an Anti-Racism Secretariat that will work across government to identify opportunities, coordinate activities and engage with our diverse communities.

Again, thank you for writing to me on this important issue.

Sincerely,

Ralph Goodale, M.P. (Regina-Wascana)
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness