On November 27, 2020, I stood in the House to call on the federal government for urgent help for our Van East community:
"The Minister of Health said she has the highest regard for Dr. Patricia Daly, Dr. Bonnie Henry and Mayor Kennedy Stewart.
Why then has the Minister refused to follow their sound advice and decriminalize simple drug possession to help save lives?
In BC alone, 1,386 people have died from an overdose [this year].
Across the country, over 16,000 people have been taken by the war on drugs.
The DTES is under siege with record overdose deaths.
And we now have the highest COVID-19 infection rates in the city.
Our community is also grappling with the largest homeless encampment in the country.
We need urgent help from the Federal government.
Vancouver [City] Council is calling on the government to decriminalize.
The Province wants the Federal government to cost share 50/50 in their aggressive pandemic housing plan to house the homeless.
Housing advocates want the Port to stand down and not pursue civil proceedings against those who acted in solidarity with the people at the homeless encampment at CRAB Park.
I join with them to call on the Federal government to act."
Dozens of students and instructors gathered at Vancouver Community College (VCC) Tuesday to protest the unexpected shutdown of the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program.
LINC, which has helped thousands of immigrants learn English, secure jobs, and work toward citizenship, is set to be terminated at the end of March due to federal funding cuts.
The move has left over 800 students without a clear path forward and more than 30 instructors without jobs.
“We found out just before winter break, and this was the first opportunity to get people together to raise spirits, because people have been really down.” said Frank Cosco, president of the VCC Faculty Association.
If Ottawa lets the deadline lapse and the two-generation cut-off is thus voided, affected lost Canadians could just come reclaim their citizenship. If the court cuts the government some slack and grants another extension in light of the circumstances, the uncertainty will continue.
“During that extension period, we could very well be in an election, in which case, no bills could be passed,” said MP Jenny Kwan, immigration critic of the opposition NDP, and a staunch supporter of the bill.
I call on the Canadian government to take urgent and decisive action to:
1. Strongly condemn the Hong Kong government’s NSL and the targeting of overseas activists, including Canadian citizens and residents, and call for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners in Hong Kong.
2. Impose targeted sanctions on Hong Kong and Chinese officials responsible for human rights violations and the erosion of Hong Kong’s freedoms.
3. Stop according any special rights or diplomatic status to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade offices in Canada.
4. Expedite the processing of PR application for Hong Kongers fleeing political persecution and to automatically renew their work and study permit in the meantime.