The federal election campaign is ignoring some of the key issues facing black voters, according to participants in a debate organized by two local organizations aiming to boost political involvement among Canadians of African descent.

The debate, organized by Conseil de la communauté noire de Gatineau (CCNG) and LeaderPOL, delved into issues including systemic racism and lack of political representation.

LeaderPOL president Olive Kamanyana kicked things off with a nod to the International Decade for People of African Descent, proclaimed by the United Nations and officially recognized by the Canadian government last year.

"The Trudeau government has recognized this decade, but so far little has been done and the issues are at the cultural, political and socio-economic level," Kamanyana said in French.

"We want to discuss systemic racism, the economy and also the cultural side.… We do not have representation in terms of governance. We want to occupy this place, but the parties must open up to us."

Five candidates participated in Sunday's debate in Gatineau:

• Greg Fergus, Liberal candidate in Hull-Aylmer.


• Éric Chaurette, New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate in Gatineau.


• Geneviève Nadeau, Bloc Québécois candidate in Gatineau.


• Josée Poirier-Defoy, Green Party candidate in Hull-Aylmer.


• Mario Belec, People's  Party of Canada (PPC) candidate in Pontiac.

No Conservative candidate participated.

'Do not be afraid'

"The biggest challenge is recognizing that there is systemic racism in Canada, and that not everyone has the same opportunities," NDP candidate Éric Chaurette observed in French.

"In the New Democratic Party, we find it extremely important to defend and promote equality."

Bloc candidate Geneviève Nadeau called for more minorities in positions of power. 

"For a long time, politics has been a matter for 50-year-old white men," Nadeau said in French. "Women have managed to take their place, but there are plenty of minorities who [still] must take their place. It is also time for those in the majority to work with them."

Green Party candidate Josée Poirier-Defoy stressed the importance of diversity. 

"It is in our values ​​to be inclusive and to accept the cultural diversity that makes our country a good place to live," Poirier-Defoy said in French.PPC candidate Mario Belec said a Canadian is always a Canadian. 

"For us, there are no Canadians of African descent or Canadians of Haitian descent. At home, they are all just Canadians," Belec said in French. Liberal candidate Greg Fergus, who is black, defended Justin Trudeau's government's record, recalling the measures his party has taken to combat racism.

"Our government has already taken action on this in 2018 and again in 2010 — historic actions and investments in the black community … to fight anti-black racism," Fergus said in French. 

Fergus called on more black community members to enter politics.

"The first message I want to send to all candidates from any cultural community is, "Do not be afraid," he said. "It's not a predominantly black county, but they had a chance to look at my platform, my ideas, and they knew that I was a very active person in the field for decades."

With files from Jean-François Poudrier