Statement on Amendments to the Lost Canadians Bill
Statement on Amendments to the Lost Canadians Bill
Jenny Kwan, NDP Immigration Critic, Statement on Amendments to the Lost Canadians Bill
“I am deeply disappointed that the Conservative and Bloc Québécois MPs voted together to pass amendments to Bill C-3 (the Lost Canadians bill) at the Immigration Committee. These amendments fundamentally undermine the very purpose of the bill — to right the historic wrongs faced by Lost Canadians and their families.
By replacing a cumulative residency connection test with a requirement for 1,095 consecutive days, the Conservatives and the Bloc have chosen to ignore the reality that Canadians are global citizens. It unfairly penalizes Canadians who work, study or fall in love abroad — people who should have every right to pass on their citizenship to their 2nd generation born abroad children.
The Conservatives and Bloc added language and criminality tests that treat Lost Canadians as if they were immigrants applying to enter the country for the first time — stripping them of the recognition of their birthright. Lost Canadians are not immigrants. They are Canadians who, because of outdated and discriminatory laws, have been unjustly denied their citizenship. These amendments effectively make them second-class citizens with additional obligations. That is wrong.
While I support common sense measures around document verification and reporting, the substantive changes by the Conservatives and Bloc are unacceptable. They fail to honour the fundamental principle that citizenship should not be taken away or restricted because of where a Canadian has lived.
The NDP will continue to stand with Lost Canadians and their families to fight against these unjust and discriminatory barriers.”
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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
A Parliamentary Secretary should not have to choose between doing their job and following their conscience. Sean Casey supported my private member’s bill, Bill C-233, which sought to close a loophole in Canada’s arms export regime that allows Canadian-made weapons to reach countries through the United States despite Canada’s own export controls. The bill was defeated in the House, with 22 MPs voting in favour and 295 against.
Sean Casey says he was removed from his position as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs after supporting the bill.
If MPs cannot vote according to their conscience on a private member’s bill without risking their government position, what does a “free vote” actually mean?
I want to thank Sean Casey and the other MPs who supported Bill C-233 for standing up for the principle that Canada’s arms export controls must mean what they say—and that Parliament must be able to hold government policy to account.
The government can disagree with my bill. It can vote against it. But MPs should not have to fear losing their parliamentary responsibilities simply for voting according to their conscience.
*Click image or link to read the news story - https://www.cbc.ca/lite/story/9.7359007