Extracting racism from the DE&I bucket Often racism work can be lost in the catch-all that diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) work can become. This ‘soft diversity’ approach can weaken or negate strategic discussions about addressing racism, particularly in workplaces. ‘Often anti-racism training is just soft diversity… but we need to manage white fragility to get through the door… One of the biggest challenges is trying to sell this kind of a program. The people who need it the most are the people who resist it - you’re asking people to let you make them feel uncomfortable. It is really dependent on “gatekeepers” e.g. government agencies that say we need this and will push for it internally. But systemic racism wouldn’t be systemic if it was easy.’44 4.2 State government 4.2.1 Desktop Review In conducting a desktop review of investment in anti-racism and discrimination initiatives by states and territories, approximately 60 policies and programs were identified through a search of publicly available information and deemed in scope. General workplace equity, not anti-racism For the most part, the government policies and programs identified through the desktop review function were staffing strategies with a general focus on diversity and inclusion in the workplace. First Nations-specific policies and programs were often directly linked to a department’s obligations under the Closing the Gap National Agreement and subsequent implementation plans, or to their Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs). Though this finding does not undermine the potential impact of First Nations programs and policies within state and territory governments, by serving the purpose of fulfilling broader departmental priorities, they often fell directly within the terms of reference of those overarching documents. Often, by being under the remit of Closing the Gap Implementation and RAPs, the policies and programs inadvertently inherit the limitations of those program areas. This means that the policies and programs fall short of operationalising anti-racism and discrimination and instead on focus on promoting general ideas of workplace equity. Policies and programs aimed at CALD or multicultural communities were again almost entirely focused on addressing workforce participation and equity in the workplace. Publicly available information demonstrates that beyond policies concerning support for and inclusion of staff for whom English may be their second language, there is no 44 Federal interviewee (Community) 28