OPEN LETTER: URGENT Ban RSS from Canada

MEDIA RELEASE: New Democrats Renew Calls on Canada to Ban the RSS and Deny Entry to its Chief

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 7, 2026

New Democrats Renew Calls on Canada to Ban the RSS and Deny Entry to its Chief

OTTAWA —New Democrats are calling on the federal government to deny entry to the head of the fascist paramilitary organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Network (RSS) and are renewing past NDP calls on Canada to ban the RSS entirely.

NDP Foreign Affairs Critic Heather McPherson and NDP Immigration and Public Safety Critic Jenny Kwan today wrote to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Public Safety, and Immigration to urge action in advance of Mohan Bhagwat’s planned visit to Canada at the end of August.

“The RSS is an extremist group that advocates hate and violence towards religious minorities and marginalized in India and also engages in targeted intimidation of those who speak out against the organization in Canada,” said Heather McPherson, NDP Foreign Affairs Critic. “Multiple minority communities fear his presence in Canada could amplify hate and violence towards them and risk the safety of vulnerable individuals.”

In recent weeks, United Nations Human Rights experts have called on Canada to ensure members of the Sikh community are protected from violent threats by Hindutva extremist groups including the RSS.

“Canada must send a clear message that there is no place in this country for individuals who promote or enable hatred, violence, or intimidation against vulnerable communities or who are connected to activities that threaten Canada's security and democratic institutions.  Pertinent sections of Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act must be applied to protect Canadians and declare the IRSS and its members inadmissible,” said Jenny Kwan, NDP Critic for Public Safety and for Immigration.

New Democrats have long called on Canada to ban the RSS from Canada, place the RSS on the terrorist entities list, and impose sanctions on connected networks. Despite strong evidence of foreign interference and incitement to violence against Canadians, the Liberals have refused to take action on the RSS. Instead, in recent months the Carney government has grown closer to the Modi regime, causing members of several minority groups in Canada to say their safety no longer matters to the Liberal government.

On August 6, over 200 Canadian civil society organizations released a joint letter calling for Mohan Bhagwat to be denied entry to Canada.

 

OPEN LETTER: Urgent call to renew and sustain federal funding for MMIWG2S+

Hill Times: Post-election MP office renos top $1.3-million

A total of 106 MPs reported office renovation expenses after the 2025 election, including 62 first-time MPs and 46 incumbents.

The Hill Times combed through expense reports for all current MPs, and tallied up a total of $1,377,107 in office renovation expenses dated to after the April 28, 2025, federal election, and reported over four quarters ending on March 30 of this year.

Of the 108 MPs who reported such expenses, 55 are Conservatives, 49 are Liberals, three are Bloc Québécois, and one is a New Democrat.

As per the Members’ Allowances and Services manual, MPs are required to contact the House of Commons’ financial management operations team “for guidance on the eligibility” of any renovation expenses not paid by the landlord, which must be “completed no later than three years following a general election.”

In seventh place on the list is incumbent NDP MP Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, B.C.), who reported a total of $55,912 in office renovation expenses. Kwan was the only MP contacted for comment to make themself available for an interview.

Speaking by phone on July 28, Kwan explained that her hunt for a new constituency office began back in 2023 after a House accessibility review flagged issues with her previous, Hastings Street office, which had two steps leading to its front door.

The Accessibility Canada Act passed in 2019 introduced new accessibility standards and requirements which apply to parliamentary entities, among others, including MP offices. The House subsequently adopted its first-ever accessibility plan in 2022, which set out certain requirements and was followed by a review of MP constituency office arrangements.

NDP MP Jenny Kwan says she began looking for a new riding office after accessibility issues were flagged with her previous space in 2023. 

Kwan said her office looked into the possibility of installing a ramp, but that was ultimately deemed unfeasible within the space available, beginning her search for a new location. Around the same time, she noted, her eight-year lease also ran out, putting her on a month-to-month lease, and her landlord indicated plans to sell.

Kwan said her team eventually found a ground-floor space on 10th Avenue close to transit, in a “very busy corridor in Vancouver East,” near her old office as a British Columbia MLA, and with good street visibility. Lease negotiations came to a halt with the call of the 2025 election, but post-writ, she said she secured one comparable in “cost on a per square footage basis” to her former riding office.

The space, however, was previously a pharmacy. As a result, Kwan said it had to be fit up, and the total costs incurred include for professional architectural drawings, city permits, construction, and materials. “It didn’t even have a proper floor, so we had to turn obviously this space into a functional constituency office,” adding vinyl flooring, a small kitchen area, a reception area, a conference room and other office space, and removing partial existing walls that featured medicine cabinets. 

Kwan confirmed the House has since reviewed the accessibility of her new office—along with a security review—and given it the OK.

*Click image or link to read the full news story - https://www.hilltimes.com/2026/08/05/post-election-mp-office-renos-top-1-3-million/513510/