Toronto Star: Critics are hammering David Johnston, but his most serious wounds are self-inflicted

Fourth, Johnston’s inability or unwillingness to provide clear answers may lead people to believe he did not do his due diligence. Under questioning from NDP Vancouver East MP Jenny Kwan, Johnston would not say whether he had inquired into why an early version of an intelligence memo dealing into Chinese attempts to interfere in a Liberal party nomination race was changed.

Last month, Johnston concluded there were no examples of the prime minister or his ministers knowingly or negligently failing to act on intelligence or recommendations related to foreign interference. Now, the special rapporteur wants to move on to self-assigned public hearings next month, hoping to answer questions of how foreign interference affects Canadians and how it gets detected and deterred, with an eye toward strengthening Canada’s capacity.

 

UFCW: Local unions, national collaboration turns hardship into dream opportunity for migrant group

In the meantime, their immigration status was taken up by the UFCW Canada national office who worked closely with NDP MP Jenny Kwan to secure an open work-permit for vulnerable migrant workers. This option for migrant victims of employer abuse was secured a few short years ago, following lengthy efforts by UFCW Canada in Ottawa to reform the Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP). Since then, the union has helped hundreds of mistreated migrants to secure open work permits.

Canadian Press: Conservative filibuster threatens potential citizenship for children born abroad

During the filibuster, Conservative members have also put forward other potential amendments far outside the scope of the original bill, including mandating in-person citizenship ceremonies, which have taken up hours of debate before being shot down by Liberal and NDP members.
The committee has extended meetings and scheduled extra time to debate the bill, but NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan said it may not be enough to beat the filibuster.

“If this continues to carry on the way in which it has, (then) there is that real possibility that the bill would be reported back to the House without us completing the work,” Kwan said.

“I’m still somewhat hopeful — I don’t know why — that this will still manage to make it to the House with the necessary amendments. I’m holding on to that shred of hope.”

Reality Check: Conservatives blocking the budget denies millions of Canadians dental care

OTTAWA—On Monday, Pierre Poilievre threated to do everything he could to delay the budget from passing. By blocking the Budget legislation, Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives would stop 3.5 million Canadians from saving hundreds of dollars with free dental care.

The people Pierre Poilievre is hurting are Canadians under 18, people with disabilities and seniors struggling to keep up with the cost of living.

Meanwhile the Conservative Leader has had dental coverage since he was elected in 2004 and has been covered for more than $40,000.

“The Conservative Leader telling senior citizens that they don’t deserve the help he’s had for decades is hypocritical and wrong,” said Jagmeet Singh. “Pierre Poilievre has had dental coverage on the taxpayers’ dime for the last 20 years. And he’s telling single moms who are scrimping and saving to get their teenager to the dentist that they don’t deserve a break. He’s really showing his true colours.

Media Release: Liberals continue to delay justice for Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people and their families

In response to a report about the Liberals’ failure to implement all Calls for Justice by the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, NDP Critic for Women and Gender Equality Leah Gazan issued the following statement:

“It’s completely unacceptable that four years after the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, this Liberal government has only completed two of the 231 Calls for Justice, and more than half haven’t even been started.

Families and survivors cannot wait any longer for action to end the violence. While this government fails to act, Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people continue to go missing or be murdered.

In May, all parties, including the Liberals, voted unanimously to recognize the missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people crisis as a Canada-wide emergency. Recognizing the urgency of this crisis is not enough – the Liberals must back up their words with concrete and urgent action to save lives.

Our loved ones deserve justice now, and they deserve to be safe.”

Global News: ‘I will not bend’: B.C. MP Jenny Kwan says she won’t allow China to erase history

I hope those of us outside of Hong Kong and China would find the courage to speak up and let the people of Hong Kong know we stand with them and that our voice is an extension of their voice,” Kwan said.
She acknowledged that there’s a risk to continuing to speak out while she is being targeted by Beijing.
“People might distance themselves from me or they’re worried what implications this has and how it could affect them,” Kwan said.

“Those are definitely real concerns, but I cannot allow for anything to deter me from doing this work. If I’m afraid to speak up, what does that mean for everyday people?”

Globe: NDP MP informed she is being targeted by China as party renews call for inquiry

“The reason why I’m being targeted is because of my activism,” she said. “Coming out of this briefing it is more clear than ever that I will not be intimidated, that I will not be silenced in any way.”

Ms. Kwan said she could not disclose specific details provided by CSIS on how China tried intimidate her, but said the efforts date back as far as 2019. The Vancouver MP has been a strong critic of China’s 2020 effort to silence opposition and dissent in in Hong Kong, where she was born, as well as Beijing’s brutal treatment of Muslim Uyghurs in China’s Xinjiang province.

Ms. Kwan said this revelation is all the more reason for a public inquiry, not just a probe by Mr. Johnston.
“I call on the government to do what is right, and what is just, and that is: We need a national public inquiry,” Ms. Kwan said. “It is not just for the protection of people like me, who is a member of Parliament, but it is also people who face those dangers every day. And they need protection and they need the government to be on their side.”

Ms. Kwan expressed dismay that she only found out years later that the Chinese government had sought to interfere with her role as MP. The government agreed to provide briefings to MPs who were targets of China as a result of national-security leaks to The Globe and Mail about the effort to intimidate Mr. Chong and his family in Hong Kong.

OPEN LETTER: Defrauded International Students

As the NDP Critic for Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, I am writing again regarding the concerning situation of international students who were defrauded by ghost immigration consultants.

I am pleased that the government has listened to the NDP and committed to halt deportation orders. I am also glad to learn that the government will provide preliminary temporary resident permits if they are required, while the newly established task force works to investigate the situation and identify victims of fraud.

While these are steps in the right direction as an interim measure, this is not a sufficient long-term solution.

OPEN LETTER: International students facing deportation order

As the NDP critic for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, I am writing to you with urgency regarding the situation of 700 Punjabi International students who are the victims of a targeted exploitation scheme.
These students find themselves in a devastating situation through no fault of their own, as they were unknowingly provided inauthentic admission letters. According to reports, the students applied for visas through a consulting company which has since been closed. The issue only came to light when the students applied for Permanent Residency.

I have been informed that there are currently over 150 of these students who now have a deportation order dated for next week on May 29th.

Some of these students have already spent half a decade living in Canada and paid international tuition fees to complete their studies. Many are now working in essential frontline jobs. These students should not be punished for the actions of a fraudulent agent. It would be unjust and harmful to deport the students whose lives are now established in Canada.

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