Canada understands itself as a society defined by civility, moderation and multicultural balance. Remaining neutral is treated as a virtue — a safeguard against bias and a foundation for fairness — but it is not an absence of position. Neutrality often functions to preserve existing divisions of power. It is a choice that shapes how decisions are made, whose experiences are recognized and whose concerns are minimized. 

Neutrality is embedded in policies, procedures and professional norms across government bodies and public organizations. Hiring committees are instructed to apply criteria equally. Workplace investigations emphasize objectivity. Public organizations avoid political positioning in the name of impartiality. These criteria are often framed as protecting against discrimination, yet in practice they can reproduce it. 

Neutrality assumes that treating everyone the same will produce equitable outcomes. This premise overlooks that individuals and groups have varying degrees of power, credibility and protection from risk or scrutiny within the workplace. When these differences are ignored, neutrality does not level the playing field. It stabilizes it.

Neutrality often preserves existing power

This dynamic is particularly visible when decisions are being made. During a hiring interview, for example, evaluators often rely on standardized questions to ensure fairness. Yet these are often shaped by and favour certain experiences, style of communication or backgrounds linked to well-known institutions, universities or employers. Candidates who do not meet these norms may be seen as “less fit.”

A similar pattern emerges in meetings and in the way decisions are made. Ideas are evaluated not only on their merit, but on who gets to speak, who is taken seriously and who ultimately has influence. Who gets interrupted, who gets credit for ideas and whose input influences decisions are........

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