Jenny Kwan, MP

Strong families build strong communities, and strong communities build a strong economy. In order for families and communities to thrive, the local economy must be sustainable. Motion M-39 was tabled in part to identify ways to increase newcomer retention to Atlantic Canada. It was quickly identified that just increasing immigration isn’t enough – substantial work needs to be done to increase the sustainability of the region so that those born there and newcomers alike wish to stay and can thrive in the region.

Today, I was honoured to attend the Remembrance Day ceremonies at the Grandview Cenotaph and the Chinese Canadian War Memorial in remembrance of the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice in answering the call to fight for our freedoms. It is heartwarming to see that despite the rain, many people attended the two ceremonies to honour the veterans. We shall remember them!

Tonight in Metro Vancouver, 3,605 people will be spending the night homeless. A substantial number of these individuals reside in my riding of Vancouver East.

    The number of people, 3,605 is obtained from the 2017 homelessness count. Since 2014, the number of homeless people in Metro Vancouver has increased by 30%, and that number is constantly growing. To break that number down a little, half of them have been homeless for over a year; 16% are young people under 25; 21% are seniors; and, yes, 21% either have a part-time or full-time job.

    In my riding, where the rental vacancy rate has been sitting at below 1% for years, even those who are currently housed live in constant fear that they may be the next victim of the rental evictions and demo evictions that have been dominating our local news cycles. Many are paying more than 30% of their total income on rent.

    If this picture seems wrong to members, it is because the situation we have in my riding and indeed throughout the country is a human rights violation. Housing is declared as a basic right by the United Nations, and Canada has signed and ratified a number of international human rights treaties that identify the right to adequate housing as a fundamental basic human right.

Canada’s immigration system can be very complex and difficult to navigate. Many people, both in Canada and abroad will seek the help of professionals to ensure their applications are filled out correctly and on time. Most often, that means people will hire an immigration lawyer or an immigration consultant. These services can be very expensive. While there an oversight body for registered immigration consultants in Canada, the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC), Members of Parliament – myself included – far too often are told of stories of unregistered or ‘ghost consultants’ that charge incredibly high fees and provide bad services; including advice to break the law.

She says the government is ignoring a manageable issue.

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In wake of increase in asylum seekers, border personnel feeling abandoned by this government, says @JennyKwanBC. #pnpcbc pic.twitter.com/3r4QiwvhkC

— Power & Politics (@PnPCBC) August 3, 2017

The asylum seekers arrive about a dozen by the hour at the end of a quiet country road in upstate New York, hopping out of taxis, extended passenger vans and private vehicles. They appear to range in age from seven months to 70 years, but they count more very young people than old.

My letter to Minister Joly calling for her to set aside the CRTC’s decisions on the renewal of French-language and English-language television licences so that the independent television sector—in both official languages—can prosper and contribute to Canada's economic and cultural growth.

The mayor of Vegreville, Alta. says he's been given new energy in his battle with the Liberal government over the planned closure of an immigration and refugee processing centre.

Conservative and NDP MPs have pledged to unite in their efforts to aid Mayor Myron Hayduk's cause.

The federal government plans to move the centre from Vegreville to Edmonton in 2018 and take about 230 jobs with it.