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IN THE NEWS: Hill Times - NDP caucus members angling to be 'adults in the room' as House resumes

NDP MP Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, B.C.) said the difference between her party and Poilievre’s Conservatives is the NDP is focused on “real solutions.”
She said Poilievre’s politics is “the politics of division” and about trying to “rev people up.”
“From our perspective, we’re going to focus on the people, with real solutions, meaningful solutions. We’re not just there for the sake of politics, we’re there to actually get things done. And that’s the difference between us and the Conservatives,” she said.  

Hill Times NEWS: Refugee advocates hope Canada’s Ukrainian response will set ‘precedent’ for future emergencies

Immigration Canada’s treatment of other refugee groups is ‘discriminatory,’ and ‘everyone trying to navigate the system should have the same standards regarding all entry requirements,’ says NDP MP Jenny Kwan.

IN PARLIAMENT: Video - Speech on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II

IN THE NEWS: Hill Times - 'This is the time for getting things done,' says former Liberal staffer after retreats wrapped up

The confidence-and-supply agreement between the Liberals and the NDP looks to be in good shape as Parliament returns for the fall, say strategists, even as both parties look to address growing frustrations with the rising cost of living, and prepare for the election of a new Conservative leader.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) was expected to announce on Sept. 8, the last day of the cabinet retreat in Vancouver, that the government was taking three steps to address affordability, according to a Canadian Press report. These included $650 a year to pay for dental care for children under the age of 12, a one-time $500 top up for renters, and a temporary doubling of the GST tax credit for low-income households.
The first two items are directly from the Liberal-NDP agreement, and the increase to the GST rebate is also something the NDP has called for. But Trudeau’s planned press conference was delayed, and when he did appear before the cameras several hours later it was to react to the death of Queen Elizabeth.

IN THE NEWS: CanIndia - Trudeau announces $2B for creation of nearly 17,000 homes, new 5-year rent to own stream

“The housing supports announced today were secured by New Democrats for everyday people as part of the supply and confidence agreement. While this is good news for Canadians, we know that more needs to be done to help families afford to keep a roof over their heads. Since 1993, the housing crisis has been ignored by Liberal and Conservative governments who abandoned federal affordable housing programs people relied on. It’s wrong that families who need help now have been ignored by decades of Liberal and Conservative governments,” Kwan said.
“New Democrats will continue using our power to push the Liberals to make life more affordable for everyday people. This means pushing to reverse Liberal and Conservative cuts by restoring the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s role in building social and co-op housing. We will continue to fight for meaningful investments that address the urgent homelessness crisis in communities struggling with encampments. It also means pushing the Liberals to ensure immediate relief to renters who need it and crack down on investors treating housing like a stock market instead of a human right,” she added.

MEDIA RELEASE: Liberals must do more to help Canadians find a home they can afford

“Canadians are paying sky-high prices for rent and struggling to find a home they can afford. The NDP continues to push the Liberal government to fix the housing crisis and get people the help they need...
New Democrats will continue using our power to push the Liberals to make life more affordable for everyday people. This means pushing to reverse Liberal and Conservative cuts by restoring the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s role in building social and co-op housing. We will continue to fight for meaningful investments that address the urgent homelessness crisis in communities struggling with encampments. It also means pushing the Liberals to ensure immediate relief to renters who need it and crack down on investors treating housing like a stock market instead of a human right.

IN THE NEWS: CTV - Trudeau announces funding for 17,000 new homes

NDP housing critic Jenny Kwan wrote in a statement Tuesday the initiatives announced by Trudeau were the result of the Liberal-NDP supply and confidence agreement, and she called on the federal government to do more to help make housing affordable.
“This means pushing to reverse Liberal and Conservative cuts by restoring the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s role in building social and co-op housing,” Kwan wrote. “We will continue to fight for meaningful investments that address the urgent homelessness crisis in communities struggling with encampments. It also means pushing the Liberals to ensure immediate relief to renters who need it and crack down on investors treating housing like a stock market instead of a human right.”

IN THE NEWS: Globe - Immigration Minister says his department has shifted focus to international student visas as many await last-minute approval

NDP MP Jenny Kwan said Canada’s immigration system, including student visa applications, is in a state of chaos. She said operating in a constant state of “crisis management mode” is not sustainable.
Ms. Kwan said there should be independent reviews of the key departments to determine why services are failing.
“The task force was established as a political cover-up,” she said.

IN THE NEWS: National Observer - Jamaican farm worker ask their government for help to improve working and living conditions in Canada

“I think it's actually shameful for the Canadian government to see such a letter be issued by the workers to the Jamaican government pleading for help,” Jenny Kwan, NDP critic for immigration, refugees and citizenship, told Canada’s National Observer. “Our immigration policy for migrant workers subjects them to exploitation and abuses. And this has gone on for a very long time now.”
At the very minimum, the labour code must be enforced, said Kwan. However, this letter indicates that's not happening — little has changed since migrant workers were dying from COVID-19 in overcrowded living quarters and facing barriers to health care, Kwan said.

IN THE NEWS: Canadian Press - Visa delays leaving international students in limbo for fall semester

NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan said there doesn't appear to by any rhyme or reason when it comes to why some applications have been processed on time and others haven't.
She has heard from students who are feeling incredibly stressed about whether they're going to be moving across the world to study in Canada in a few weeks.
"September is just around the corner as the school year is gonna start, and they don't know what's going on with their application," Kwan said in an interview.
The fact that so many students are likely to find out at the last moment shows the department doesn't recognize the real-life experiences people are going through, she said. "They have to find living quarters, for example, get housing in place, get familiar with how to get to and from school."
Everything from course selection to orientation is jeopardized, she added, and the delays cause uncertainty for institutions as well.