Globe and Mail: Government told Liberal MP to shelve motion on honorary citizenship for Jimmy Lai

A drive to grant jailed Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai honorary Canadian citizenship is on hold after the Liberal MP spearheading the move was told by her government’s House leader to shelve the motion just before she was about to present it.

The MP, Judy Sgro, had already gained the support of MPs from all parties for a unanimous-consent motion that raised the plight of Mr. Lai, who has been held in solitary confinement for 4½ years.

The motion was seen as a symbolic gesture by Canada to bolster support for Mr. Lai before the G7 leaders’ summit in Alberta this weekend.

Ms. Sgro said she was not given a clear explanation for the government’s move. She said she plans to persevere with the motion.

She was approached by Steven MacKinnon, the Government House Leader, on Wednesday and told that she could not present it.

 

NDP MP Jenny Kwan, who was born in Hong Kong, said Immigration Minister Lena Diab has the power to grant Mr. Lai honorary citizenship and should do so before the G7 summit, when world leaders are gathering.

“She should do it right now and absolutely before the G7,” she said. “The whole idea is to get it in front of the international community.”

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OTTAWA — Housing Minister Gregor Robertson tabled legislation on Thursday to establish the federal government’s new affordable housing agency, but acknowledged Build Canada Homes has no set targets on how many homes it will build.

In December, the Parliamentary Budget Officer released a report that estimated the agency’s efforts would result in 26,000 directly funded units over the next five years. The federal government has said the report does not take into account the units that will result from Build Canada Homes’ partnerships with private developers and its $51-billion infrastructure fund.

Still, the PBO estimates federal spending on housing programs is set to decline by 56 per cent, from $9.8 billion in 2025-26 to $4.3 billion in 2028-29, due to expiration of funding for existing programs and cuts set out in Budget 2025.

“Canada’s non-profit housing stock has dwindled to only about four and a half percent of its total housing stock, well below the G7 average,” said NDP housing critic Jenny Kwan, in an interview with the National Post. “Countries that are doing well in addressing the housing situation is sitting at about 20 per cent.”

Click image or link to read the news story - https://nationalpost.com/news/minister-says-new-housing-agency-has-no-targets-on-number-of-homes-it-will-build

 

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