The writ for the Ontario provincial election dropped today, signalling the official start to the campaign period to elect a new government on June 7, 2018.

With aconstituency of over 30,000 members, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) represents a great number of Ontarians.  Below, FSWC has laid out some priorities we would like to see move forwardwith the next government in Ontario. We wish all candidates the best of luck in their campaigns and look forward to engaging MPPs on these issues.

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Getting Tougher on Hate Crime

- Showthat Ontario will not tolerate hate by charging individuals/groups with hatecrimes under sections 318 and 319 of the Criminal Code where appropriate.

- Encourageincreased hate crime reporting, and ensure law enforcement keep records andstatistics relating to hate-motivated crime.

Addressing Online Hate

- Developa forum to address online hate and develop an action plan to combat hate speechonline.

- Ontarioshould work with social media companies (Twitter, Facebook, Google, etc.) todevelop partnerships and guidelines for removing antisemitic and hateful postsand hate-inspired event promotion.

Eradicating Hate from PublicSpaces and University Campuses

- Workwith municipalities to create mechanisms to prohibit racist and hateful events,meetings and rallies from occurring in public spaces throughout Ontario.

- Workwith universities to eradicate hate and fear on campus directed at Jewishstudents though the yearly “Israeli Apartheid Week” and other demonizinganti-Israel and antisemitic events that have become prevalent on Ontario’scampuses.

Increased Support for Holocaustand Anti-Racism Education

- Providefunding specifically for Holocaust education in Ontario so that teachers areprovided the proper tools to provide this sensitive and important education totheir students.

- Supportand increase funding for existing anti-racism initiatives that focus onantisemitism and reducing antisemitic hate crimes, the most statistically prevalent form of hate-motivated crime inthe province.

Standing Up for Israel

- Provincialadoption of the IHRA working definition of antisemitism and ensure provincialentities including law enforcement, the Ontario Human Rights Commission, and otherpublic bodies use this definition when responding to antisemitic incidents andcomplaints.

- Aslaid out in the anti-BDS motion passed in 2016, denounce organizations (bothpublic and private) and provincial government employees who support the BDSmovement.

- Promoteand encourage ties between Ontario and Israel in academia, business,innovation, science and technology.