The following is from the Redress community leaders in Toronto. They state that there is no division in the Chinese community regarding redress. All groups want an apology. All groups do NOT oppose compensation to head tax payers and spouses.
For
Immediate Release
June
8, 2006
No Division On
Head Tax Redress Issue
Toronto. Redress-seeking groups yesterday called
on prominent Chinese Canadian groups and individuals to make known their
opinions on the Chinese Head Tax redress issue. Recent news articles including commentary
by Mr. Jason Kenney, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister Jason Kenney
have raised the issue of consensus in the community.
Mr. Jason Kenney (Vancouver Sun, June 8,
2006):
“What we're trying to do is come up with a
consensus and, quite frankly, the Chinese community has been quite polarized
for a long time on how to redress the head tax. It's a very difficult issue.
There are groups that are miles apart on this, so it's going to be difficult to
come up with a consensus. But we're doing our best.”
Redress-seeking groups then called on the National
Congress of Chinese Canadians (NCCC) and Mr Ping Tan, in particular, to make
clarify their position on redress.
Mr. Ping Tan was asked about NCCC’s
most recent position on Head Tax redress by Simon Li, host of “Power
Politics” yesterday afternoon. In response, Mr. Ping Tan said that the NCCC now does not oppose individual direct redress to head tax payers
and widows. Mr. Tan added that he didn’t know what sort of division Mr. Kenney
was referring to.
Please check the audio clip here:
www.torontofirstradio.com/archive.asp?filename=ampart14-6-8-2006.asf
“We are close to finally
resolving this longstanding injustice,” Colleen Hua, CCNC National President
said today. “We urge the federal Government to carefully consider the
feedback received over the past few weeks and months and to make the right
choices so that we may begin a genuine reconciliation based on trust and
respect.”
There are rumours that the
Government may make a distinction in redressing Head Tax payers and surviving
spouses. CCNC urges the Government to provide equal symbolic redress for Head
Tax payers and surviving spouses.
Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC) and other
redress-seeking groups across Canada
have pressed successive Federal Governments since 1984 to provide redress for
the Chinese head tax legislation 1885 -1923 and the Chinese Exclusion Act 1923
– 1947.
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For more
information, please contact:
Colleen Hua,
National President, (647) 299-1775 (Toronto)
Dr. Joseph Wong, CCNC Founding President,
(416) 806-0082 (Toronto)
Victor Wong,
Executive Director, (416) 977-9871 (Toronto)