Diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) have been heavily featured in the news in recent years. While some people are of the opinion that there is still a lot more to be done, others think that it has done too much and is no longer needed.
As a result, it has created a division in society. One of the main reasons for this is the money spent on DEI initiatives and consultants. In Canada, the Liberals have spent $30 million of taxpayer money on DEI consultants.
Companies Are Starting to Abandon Diversity
While diversity has always been an important thing in society, an increasing number of companies are now starting to abandon diversity to focus more on the skills of their workers.
However, experts say that companies abandoning DEI initiatives are a huge mistake. Dispute it meaning they can cut costs and spend that money elsewhere. It also means that some people are less likely to accept a job offer if that company doesn’t show good DEI initiatives.
Most Schools Are Dropping DEI Initiatives
Another group that has been dropping DEI initiatives is schools and colleges. This comes after a Supreme Court ruling that stated schools and colleges cannot use DEI for admissions and hiring practices.
As they are no longer allowed to use federal or state funding to support their DEI offices or staff, schools and colleges can no longer afford to fund them, which is a major reason as to why they are dropping them.
$30 Million on DEI Consultants
An analysis of the amount the Liberal Canadian government has been spending on DEI consultants has revealed they have spent around $30 million of taxpayers’ money since 2019.
The contracts were given to consultants who work in various areas, including gender ideology and systemic racism theory. This was done to ensure that the government kept up its DEI efforts across all areas of the political spectrum.
The Department of National Defence Received the Most Money
In the review, it was revealed that the government department that had received the most DEI money was the Canadian National Defense. In total, the department received $9,326,278.67 to help reform the Canadian military.
Other government departments also received millions of dollars in DEI support. Employment and Social Development Canada received $6,964,882.69, the Parole Board received $2,268,488.46 and Canadian Heritage received $1,720,081.33.
Some Agencies Didn’t Spend Much on DEI
Despite some agencies spending millions of dollars on DEI initiatives, others didn’t spend that much. In fact, some only spent as much as three figures toward making these changes toward diversity.
The Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada spent $7,755. However, the Canadian Grain Commission only spent $412.50, with the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety spending even less at $360.
DEI Spending Reached a High in 2023
Even though the spending has been spread across five years since 2019, the most amount of taxpayer money was spent in 2023 on DEI initiatives. From the $30 million spent spanning those years, the total amount of spending in 2023 was $12.70 million.
The government then spent $1.75 million in 2019, $1.82 million in 2020, $5.74 million in 2021 and $5.94 million in 2022. As of May 2024, the total amount spent on DEI initiatives in 2024 has been $2.27 million.
What Taxpayer Money Has Been Spent On
One thing taxpayers always want to know is where their tax dollars are being spent. If they don’t know where or how they are being spent or don’t like how they are being spent, this can cause an uproar and anger among the population.
The report broke down exactly what the money has been spent on. Some of this included sex change seminars at the Veterans Review and Appeal Board, pipe ceremonies at Correction Service Canada, money for pride celebrations and Indigenous bead and cooking lessons.
The Problem With White Supremacy
Each government agency could choose how to spend its money. The National Defense chose to spend $22,600 on Dr. Rachel Zellar to hold a guest speaker position during Black History Month.
A month before this, Zellar was involved in an event where she told military leaders about the issues the military has with white supremacy. She told them that while white supremacy is a problem all over the world, it is an increasing problem in Canada’s military that needs to be addressed.
DEI, the Canadian Government and Sport
One area that feels it needs to address DEI within its industry is sport. The Canadian government has said it wants to work more at reducing the inequalities within sport to help those in “underrepresented communities” seek more opportunities.
This means breaking down barriers for women and girls, Indigenous people, people with disabilities, Black people and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. While some people might see this as a good thing, it also means spending more money on the use of DEI initiatives.
Spending on the LGBTQIA+ Community
A lot of the spending from the $30 million on DEI has been spent on initiatives for the LGBTQIA+ community. This included spending $165.68 on transgender pride flags and $79.10 for two gender-neutral signs.
Veterans Affairs Canada also gave $18,500, as part of a contract with Egale Canada, on webinars for the LGBTQIA+ community. The appeal board also spent money on non-binary writing workshops for community members to learn how to write in French and English.
The U.S. and Canada Are Behind on Inclusion
Despite all of the money spent by Canadian taxpayers on DEI initiatives and people in the U.S. claiming it doesn’t need these initiatives as it is inclusive enough, a study has found that these two countries, along with the U.K., are behind the rest of the world when it comes to inclusion.
The Netherlands is now considered the most inclusive place in the world to live, replacing Canada. This means that many Canadian taxpayers may feel annoyed that much of their tax money has been spent on DEI initiatives, only for it not to pay off.
