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Indo Canadian Voice: NDP MP Kwan Slams Government For Not Having Acted Sooner To Fix International Student Program

FEDERAL NDP Critic for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Jenny Kwan, reacting to changes to the International Student Program announced by Marc Miller, federal Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, on Friday, said: “At long last, the government is finally doing what they should have been doing all along – work collaboratively with Designated Learning Institutions to verify the authenticity of acceptance letters for international students. If the Liberals acted sooner, it would have prevented the fraud scam by bad actors impacting hundreds of students from India earlier this year.”

She noted: “Through the work of the task force, officials confirmed 285 students were impacted by scammers. To date, less than half of the cases have been reviewed leaving many students in limbo. This is unacceptable and the Liberals must act to fix this.”

Toronto Star: Amid Growing Dissent, Will Canada Change Its Immigration Plans?

NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan said she’s concerned about the backlash against the immigrant community.

“No good will come out of that because we have already lived through racism and discrimination in Canada’s history,” she said. “The government has to have a housing plan and an infrastructure plan for our community.”

Tom Kmiec, the Conservative immigration critic, did not respond to the Star’s requests for comment. This summer, his party leader, Pierre Poilievre, did say the immigration system is broken, but sidestepped reporters’ questions about whether he would change the current targets.

Globe & Mail: Immigration Minister says Palestinians will not be sent back to Gaza if visas expire

Palestinians in Canada will not be sent back to Gaza if their visas expire while the war between Israel and Hamas rages, Immigration Minister Marc Miller told a Commons committee on Tuesday.

He was responding to questioning from NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan who asked the minister whether he would extend the visas of Palestinians in Canada so they are not sent back to Gaza during the war once they expire.

“We can do that. We can extend the visas,” Mr. Miller replied in a hearing before the Commons immigration committee.

Hill Times: NDP heading back to Ottawa with questions for Prime Minister Trudeau on ‘why he’s not standing up for international law’ in Gaza

After the protests on Saturday, and before a panel on Canadian foreign policy featuring McPherson and NDP MPs Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, B.C.) and Peter Julian (New Westminster–Burnaby, B.C.), multiple members of the socialist caucus including Weisleder, Julius Arscott, and Shiam Abdelaal began yelling on the convention floor in support of Palestine. The microphones on the floor were turned off, and they were repeatedly asked to stop yelling, but continued. 

In a later interview with The Hill Times, McPherson said she was “angry.” 

“I was angry because the very small number of folks that were causing the disruption within the convention were actually stopping us from getting to the important work of discussing the issue in Israel and Palestine. They were stopping us from doing the very thing they wanted us to do,” she said. 

VIDEO: CPAC Special - 2023 NDP Convention - Interview with MPs Jenny Kwan and Laurel Collins

NDP MPs Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East) and Laurel Collins (Victoria) speak with CPAC’s Michael Serapio on the final day of the federal party's policy convention in Hamilton, Ontario. The MPs face questions on challenges facing their party, and what they can learn from their provincial counterparts on organizing and winning elections. 

Kenora Online: NDP pushing the Grits on housing

Housing continues to remain a hot topic in the House of Commons.

In response to a question from the NDP, Housing Minister Sean Fraser admits the GST rebate on new builds is not enough on its own.

"We're going to continue to make investments in low cost financing to build more homes that ordinary people can actually afford. We've advanced programs in the past and will continue to  in the future to directly subsidize the kinds of homes low income people need to build."

Meanwhile theNew Democrats are pushing for an acquisition fund for the non-profit sector to stop the loss of low cost housing to profiteering.

Vancouver East MP Jenny Kwan notes the failings of previous governments have led to dire straits.

"The average rent in Canada is now over $2100 a month, in Vancouver its over $3000, time for bold action."

The Liberals say there must be an increase of availability in the market and have the government encourage the construction of both low and mid-income housing.

Queen’s University Journal: The Policy Corner: of mice and foreign interference

NDP MP Jenny Kwan—yes, the one who is actually being targeted by foreign interference—implored in a petition of her own that a registry be implemented as soon as possible. She stated that comparing a  Foreign Agent Registry to the racist Chinese Exclusion Act is a false comparison. The historic racist law targeted all Chinese people, a Foreign Agent Registry would apply to anyone, Canadian or not, who lobby on behalf of any foreign government. 

I don’t think this is a race issue. 

Parliament recommenced this past week—let’s see what is done to deal with this critical issue.

Knowledge is power, and we know that foreign interference is happening right here in Canada. Unlike Lennie, we need to disarm the threat we face before serious damage is inflicted on our democracy. 

Globe: Ottawa rebuffs MPs’ calls to welcome trans asylum seekers at U.S. border

"The Supreme Court of Canada stated that equality rights are just as important as every other human right. Even the government’s lawyers argued that urgent exemption for migrant women, girls, and 2SLGTBQIA+ people in the Safe Third Country Agreement is needed.   

Back in 2002, the UNHCR already recommended that there should be a policy exemption on gender-based claims when Canada drafted regulations for the STCA.  

Instead of expanding the STCA to the entire border, the NDP strong believes that the Liberals should suspend the STCA.  Failing to do so will mean increase risks of human trafficking and sexual violence often disproportionately targeted at migrant women, girls, and LGBTQI individuals. 

If the Liberals won’t do what is right, they should at least exempt gender-based claims in the STCA.”

CPAC: NDP Respond to Conservatives’ Housing Plan

HEADLINE POLITICS
NDP MPs Respond to Conservatives’ Housing Plan – September 21, 2023
At a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, NDP critics Jenny Kwan (housing) and Daniel Blaikie (finance) discuss Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s recently-tabled bill to address the housing crisis.

CTV News: B.C. woman launches advocacy group led by seniors, for seniors

Elliott’s plight is one advocates say they’ve been hearing about for years, especially when it comes to suitable housing.
“There’s a great deal of anxiety for seniors just on that alone,” said Grace Hann, a seniors advocate who works at the Gordon Neighbourhood House in the West End.
Andrea Krombein, the seniors coordinator at Marpole Oakridge Family Place, told CTV News she knows of elders who are frequently threatened with eviction.
“Right now, as we are standing here, someone is suffering and that shouldn’t be happening,” she said.
UNIVERSAL DENTAL CARE PLAN
Jenny Kwan, the MP for Vancouver East, said she knows of seniors in her constituency who are struggling to access dental care. Kwan said this is one of the reasons the NDP fought to secure a universal dental program, which she said will be available to seniors this year.
“We’ll be heading back to the House of Commons in about a week's time and we will be resuming that debate, working on that legislation, doing that work to bring it to fruition,” she said.