Van Sun: Federal government kicks in $1.8 million to revitalize Vancouver's Chinatown

Monday, the federal government chipped into the revitalization by announcing a $1.8 million grant through the PacifiCan Tourism Relief Fund. About $1.3 million will go to modernizing and upgrading the Chinese Cultural Centre, the Chinatown Storytelling Centre and the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Classical Gardens.

The remaining $500,000 will be used to expand the Light Up Chinatown Festival, a two-day event in September that brought an estimated 10,000 people to Chinatown last year.

Canadian Press: 'Incredibly frustrating' visa delays could thwart another Montreal conference

"It is really an embarrassment on an international scale, and we've seen this happen before," said NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan.

She said she's had constituents complain about visa woes, and timelines posted online suggest measures such as the event codes are not improving the department's ability to process applications.

"They said that they will learn from these lessons, and prevent it from happening again. But the reality is persisting, and if anything, it's actually getting worse," Kwan said.

Media Release: NDP blasts Liberals for failing to crackdown on greedy corporate landlords

“Under this liberal government, the cost of rent for Canadians went up 60 per cent,” said Kwan. “Liberals are letting corporate landlords rip off Canadian families by jacking up rent when they bring in a new tenant, and vacancy rates are lower than ever.”
Kwan says that the Liberals are making it easy for corporate landlords to get a profitable pay day on the backs of Canadian families struggling to find a home they can afford in their own communities.
“Letting corporations and speculators turn our housing market into a casino for the ultra-wealthy is wrong,” added Kwan. “But the Liberals have turned their backs on renters. When are the Liberals going to crackdown on the profiteering of corporate landlords that is keeping families from finding a home they can afford?”

Media Release: Expansion and extension of Lifeboat scheme for Hong Kongers step in the right direction but more needs to be done

Right from the beginning, Kwan and advocates for Hong Kongers had pointed out to the Liberal government that the 5-year graduation rule meant that many Hong Kongers would not be eligible under the program. This was proven to be the case when it was revealed that as of the end of October last year, only 134 Hong Kongers had come to Canada under the lifeboat scheme.
"Since the lifeboat scheme was first announced in November 2020, I continually brought the concerns directly to the attention of the Immigration Minister.  I spoke with him directly, had the issue studied by the Standing Committee on Citizenship, Immigration, and Refugees (CIMM) and most recently, CIMM issued a press release calling for action.  Today's announcement is a step in the right direction.  However, more needs to be done", added Kwan.
Hong Kong officials are working hard to promote the message that Hong Kong is returning to normal, however, the Hong Kong government is still aggressively using the national security law to persecute dissidents, journalists and including those who participated in the primary election of the Legislative Council.   Too many Hong Kongers find themselves accused of violating the national security law.  For the lifeboat scheme to be effective, the Canadian government recognize this and lift the criminal record check requirement for these Hong Kongers.

Toronto Star: Is the government doing enough to help these ‘Lost Canadians’?

Opposition MP Jenny Kwan, the NDP immigration critic, said the citizenship law has been amended so many times with exceptions layered with exceptions that the regime has become so complex and it’d be much simpler and better just to bring in a brand new act.

“It was the conservatives who actually took out the passing on of citizenship to future generations, so there is a reluctance for them to get into this because they have to admit that they were wrong,” said Kwan.

“It’s a mystery to me why the Liberals wouldn’t want to fix it, other than to say that the Liberals are true to form, always says the right thing but they can never follow up with action.”

Media Release: NDP will table motion to raise Old Age Security payments for all seniors

OTTAWA – On Wednesday, NDP critic for Seniors Rachel Blaney (North Island—Powell River) will call on all members of parliament to support seniors by increasing Old Age Security (OAS) payments in the wake of the affordability crisis. But, instead of supporting some of Canada’s most vulnerable, the Liberals and Conservatives have teamed up to deny people the help they need.
“With the rising costs of groceries and mortgages and sky-high inflation rates, people are having an extremely difficult time keeping up. And seniors are some of the most impacted by how expensive everything has become, especially women,” said Blaney. “It’s really discouraging for a lot of people to see how the Liberals and Conservatives abandon people once they retire.”
Last summer, seniors 75 and older received a ten per cent increase to their OAS payments – but those under 75 haven’t received an extra cent. Blaney’s motion would have ensured that all seniors would receive the increase, rather than going forward with the Liberals two-tiered system that leaves out more than two million people.

CBC: NDP calls for end to most immigration detention cases

The federal NDP is calling for an end to immigration detention — except for people who pose a danger to the public — after Radio-Canada/CBC reporting revealed that thousands of foreign nationals are detained each year with no release date.
"To put someone in jail when they're not a threat to public safety and throw away the key, without letting them know when they will actually be free, is so wrong, so inhumane," said Jenny Kwan, the party's immigration critic.   "People's lives are destroyed in that way and they have zero hope. Many of them may have fled persecution to get to safety. Little do they know that when they get to Canada, they could be put in jail."
Earlier this week, Radio-Canada/CBC told the story of Abdirahman Warssama, who fled to Canada from Somalia only to be locked up for five years and seven months in maximum security jails in Ontario.

MEDIA RELEASE: Canada’s NDP Leader calls on Trudeau government to reject the American style, for-profit health care Conservatives are pushing

Singh says the Liberals spent $100 million on consultants but refuse to deliver on promise to hire 7,100 nurses to help address staffing shortages

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