Open Letter to the PM: Free Jimmy Lai
Open Letter to the PM: Free Jimmy Lai
Dear Prime Minister Carney, and Minister Anand,
Open Letter: Free Jimmy Lai
Since the enactment of Hong Kong's extradition bill in 2019 and the draconian National Security Law in 2020 severely compromised Hong Kong's judicial system and the "one country, two system" rule, Hong Kong has lost autonomy, and its people have lost the most basic human rights and freedoms. Many people have been arrested, jailed and persecuted under these laws for standing up for democracy, for attending peaceful pro-democracy protests, even for merely participating in primary elections. Those convicted can face life imprisonment.
Jimmy Lai, founder of the very popular newspaper Apple Daily, is a steadfast champion of democratic principles and journalistic freedom in Hong Kong. Mr. Lai has also become a most high-profile political prisoner. He was arrested and charged under the National Security Law in December 2020 and has spent nearly 1700 days in prison; his sham trial has resumed today. Mr Lai, who has many connections to Canada, needs your advocacy. He is 77 years old, and his health is quickly declining. Mr. Lai has close ties to Canada, and this is a time for Canada to step up and be world leaders in protecting human rights and democratic values.
I have long called to free Jimmy Lai. In June 2025 I joined with members of all parties, who came together with Mr. Lai’s family and his international legal team to champion freedom for Jimmy Lai just ahead of the G7 in June – yet your government failed to take that opportunity to send a clear message.
I again ask that you now advocate for Mr. Lai and request his humanitarian release. I also renew my calls on your government to act on your Ministerial authority to grant Jimmy Lai honorary Canadian citizenship. The urgency in Mr. Lai’s case is acute and I hope you will act with the necessary swiftness.
Sincerely,
Jenny Kwan
Member of Parliament for Vancouver East
Cc: Hon. Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
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How your data determines what you pay!
What if the price you pay at the store is different than the person standing next to you?
Corporations can use personal data such as location, device type, browsing history, purchase behavior, login status, and loyalty cards/programs to profile consumers and determine what different people are charged for the same goods and services.
How can we stop this from happening in Canada?
Join MP Jenny Kwan, Patrick Johnson - President of UFCW 1518, Jim Stanford - Economist and Director of Centre for Future Work, Avi Lewis - NDP Leader and Benjamin Fung - Canada Research Chair in Data Mining for Cybersecurity and other experts, for a public forum and community conversation about what surveillance pricing means for consumers and workers, how technology and personal data are changing the way prices are set, and what everyday people can do to fight back.
*Scan QR code, click the image or this link to register your attendance - https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/your-data-their-price-a-town-hall-on-surveillance-pricing-tickets-1998495899032
IRCC taking 33 months to process applications in wake of 'lost Canadians' law
When Pascal Sud and Meisha Smith prepared in January for the arrival of their first child, the choice seemed simple.
Smith would give birth in her home country of Jamaica where she had family support, and then they would together return to Montreal three months later.
At the time, the wait time for the citizenship certificate that their daughter, Sofianne, needed to fly back to Canada was between four and six weeks.
But more than eight months later, they're still waiting.
Sud is back at work in Montreal while Smith and Sofianne are still in Jamaica.
"It's been very frustrating," said Sud. "I was lucky to be there for three months … but I've been missing every step since, and it's been very difficult to be apart from them."
He's not alone.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is struggling to handle a flood of citizenship applications — many of them from a change to federal law late last year that allows anyone who can prove they have a Canadian ancestor to apply.
That backlog is preventing Canadians born abroad like Sofianne from coming home.
According to the department's most recent update on Sept. 3, there are 136,000 applications waiting to be processed. Those applying for a citizenship certificate now face a wait of 33 months.
NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan called on the government to restore staffing and resources that were cut at IRCC, calling the processing delays "simply unreasonable and unacceptable."
*Click image or link to read the full news story - https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadian-citizenship-lost-canadians-c3-backlog-9.7366981