Jenny Kwan, MP

As displacement and forced migration increases, the willingness to share in the responsibility to provide vulnerable people a safe haven to rebuild their lives is decreasing, especially amongst the wealthiest nations in the world. Canada has thus far gone against that trend, remaining a welcoming nation with a humanitarian spirit. However, the trust Canadians have in the system is at risk of being lost if the situation with irregular migrants is not managed properly.

In March, I asked the Minister whether the 2018 budget has increased much needed funding to the SWIS program to ensure that students and families do not fail in the resettlement process. In addition, I inquired as to whether the government is doing anything to address the issue of lack of affordable housing, particularly for newcomers. Unfortunately, it seems that there is no funding specifically allocated to housing when it comes to resettlement, hence the large number of refugees in shelters.

Back in February the Committee had a hearing from the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship on Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan.  During this meeting, I once again brought the issue of the discriminatory nature of medical inadmissibility in Canada’s immigration system, Section 38(1)(c) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).

My Fall 2018 newsletter is now available!

Dear Friends,

In this newsletter, I discuss the Safe Third Country Agreement, the new zoning of Chinatown, Kinder Morgan, rail noise complaints, and other issues. If you have anything that you would like to let me know about these or any other subjects, please don't hesitate to contact me. 

for 15 months now I have been raising the issue around irregular border crossings in this House, at committee, and in the public. As members may remember, it started with your granting my request for an emergency debate on this very subject in January 2017.

Since that time, we have seen the influx in irregular border crossings and asylum claims. Back on April 10, 2017, at the immigration and citizenship committee, I moved a motion for the committee to study the issue of irregular crossings. Unfortunately, the Liberal members of the committee saw fit to adjourn debate on my motion repeatedly. Not only did they want to study the issue: they refused to even have a debate on the need to study the situation.

The inequality gap between Canada's wealthiest and the rest of Canadians has never been greater in our country. According to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, as of 2016, Canada's 100 highest paid CEOs now earn over 209 times more than the average Canadian worker. This year, Canada's CEOs could have stopped working at 10:57 a.m. on January 2 and taken the rest of the year off and they would still make as much as an average Canadian this year. Members can think about that for a minute.

Close to 40,000 people in the Lower Mainland have Latin American heritage. The community is vibrant and diverse, and every year there are plenty of wonderful events and activities highlighting and celebrating their culture. This year, from June 27 to July 8, Vancouver will celebrate Latin American Week. Carnaval del Sol, a free family-friendly festival, is always one of the biggest attractions. This year will be the 10th annual Carnaval del Sol, and will feature close to 400 performers showcasing singers, dancers, bands, and incredible food. Latin American Week will give people the opportunity to attend cooking classes, dancing classes, a fashion show, and plenty of arts and crafts displays highlighting the diversity of Vancouver's Latin American community. From August 23 to September 2, Vancouver will have its 16th annual Latin American Film Festival showcasing contemporary Latin American and Latin Canadian filmmaking. I encourage all Canadians to check similar events in their communities or in communities nearby, as festivals and events like these happen across Canada each year. If there is not one in their community, I invite people to come to Vancouver and check out ours.

Prime Minister Trudeau approved the new Kinder Morgan pipeline, but BC’s new NDP government, First Nations and residents remain firmly opposed to this project. Trudeau’s Natural Resources Minister even says he will use the army to ram this pipeline through our communities. I know we can stop Kinder Morgan if we stick together. Please sign this petition and support our efforts to protect our coast and our communities.

Click here to sign our electronic petition calling on the Prime Minister to stop the Kinder Morgan Expansion or print your own petition and send it to my office (no postage needed) - Download a paper copy here

Content of the petition:

Petition to the Government of Canada to

Oppose the Kinder Morgan Pipeline Expansion

We, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:

THAT

• Kinder Morgan is planning to build a new heavy oil pipeline from Alberta to British Columbia – tripling the capacity of the Trans Mountain pipeline system in BC to 890,000 barrels per day;
• This new pipeline brings massive environmental and economic risk, but no substantial benefit to British Columbia or to local residents;
• Approximately 40,000 barrels of oil have already leaked from the existing Kinder Morgan pipeline, including two major spills in Burnaby since 2007;
• Kinder Morgan estimates this new pipeline will only create 50 permanent full-time jobs and has stated it may be built using workers from outside BC;
• There is no known scientific technology to clean up the bitumen when there is a spill;
• Kinder Morgan argued in its National Energy Board application that oil spills can have positive economic effects as “spill response and clean-up creates business and employment opportunities”;
• Oil from this new pipeline will not be refined in British Columbia, sold to local consumers, or used to meet Canada’s energy needs – but instead will be shipped by tanker to foreign markets;
• These raw exports will increase the number of oil tankers coming into the Burrard Inlet from eight to 34 per month, putting at risk our waterways and the industries dependent on them;
• This new pipeline will pass through densely-populated urban areas, residential neighborhoods, and the traditional territories of 15 First Nations.
• The Liberal and Conservative Government have undermined the National Energy Board review process, resulting in many BC residents being unfairly prevented from sharing their concerns;
• Trudeau betrayed Canadians by approving the Kinder Morgan Expansion under Stephen Harper’s process

THEREFORE we call on the Government of Canada to immediately act to prevent this new oil pipeline from proceeding through British Columbia.