NDP leads head tax issue in Parliament with motions
addressing head tax and exclusion act redress
With the Conservative government promising to make an apology in Parliament
for the Chinese head tax. It was the NDP opposition that got off to a
quick start with motions that will lead to both an apology and redress for
the head tax and exclusion act. Fair Justice for all...
MP's Libby Davies and Peter Julian both attended the 2006 Gung Haggis Fat
Choy dinner on January 22, with the NDP federal candidate colleagues on
Election Eve. It was great to have them there, as they have helped to lead
the fight for Head Tax redress from the beginning in the 1980's with
Margaret Mitchell. I hope to one day have a Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner in
Halifax so that Alexa McDonough can attend.
The following motions were tabled in the House of Commons Friday by NDP MP's
Alexa McDonough, Libby Davies and Peter Julian
http://www.parl.gc.ca/39/1/parlbus/chambus/house/orderpaper/004_2006-04-06/o
rdpmo004-E.html
M-11 - April 4, 2006 -
Ms. McDonough (Halifax) -
That, in the opinion of the House, the government should:
a) formally apologize to the Chinese community for the injustice imposed
on Chinese immigrants by the government's Chinese Immigration Act of 1885
and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1923;
(b) negotiate with members of the Chinese community, financial
compensation to surviving individuals who paid the tax, and to their
descendents; and
(c) financially support educational and cultural
initiatives developed in concert with the Canadian-Chinese community to
prevent such injustices from happening again.
M-66 - April 4, 2006 -
Ms. Davies (Vancouver East)
- That, in the opinion of the House, the government should negotiate with
the individuals affected by the Chinese Head Tax and the Chinese Immigration
(Expulsion) Act, as well as with their families and their representatives,
a just and honourable resolution which includes the following framework:
a) a parliamentary acknowledgment of the injustice of these measures;
b) an official apology by the government to the individuals and their
families for the suffering and hardship caused;
c) individual financial compensation; and
d) a community-driven anti-racism advocacy and educational trust fund for
initiatives to ensure that these and other historic injustices are not
repeated.
M-33 - April 4, 2006 -
Mr. Julian (Burnaby-New Westminster)
- That, in the opinion of the House, the government should move quickly
to accelerate the processing of immigration applications and abolish the
head tax, or right of landing fees, on all immigrants.
M-34 - April 4, 2006 -
Mr. Julian (Burnaby-New Westminster)
- That, in the opinion of the House, the government should officially
recognize the contribution of the early Chinese labourers toward building
the Canadian Pacific Railway in British Columbia by supporting the development of a
Chinese Railway Labourers' heritage exhibition, as well as a provincially
based Chinese Railway Labourer's museum in the city of Kamloops, that
would show the historic contribution and sacrifices of the Chinese people in
building the Canadian Pacific Railway in British Columbia.
M-73 - April 4, 2006 -
Ms. Davies (Vancouver East)
- That, in the opinion of the House, the government should implement
progressive immigration reform to provide domestic workers with full
immigration status on arrival, abolish the head tax on all immigrants,
and include persecution on the basis of gender and sexual orientation
as grounds for claiming refugee status.
NDP leads head tax issue in Parliament with motions addressing head tax and exclusion act redress
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