January 6, 2005

Conservative Party of Canada Response to
the Ontario Coalition of Head Tax Payers and
Families
       
        
Question 1: Do you support an all-party Parliamentary resolution to acknowledge
the injustice and racial discrimination, and to recognize the suffering of
individual Chinese Canadians, their families, and the entire Chinese Canadian
community that resulted from this legislated racism, including the emotional
and financial hardship, and the forced separation of families?

Yes.  The Conservative Party has long recognized the terrible
historical wrong of the Chinese head tax.  It is time for the Parliament
and Government of Canada to recognize this grave injustice, and to apologize
for it.

Question 2: Do you support  the return of a symbolic amount to the
approximately 250 surviving head tax payers and surviving spouses?

Yes.  Living head tax payers should
receive such restitution.

       
        
Question
3: Will you rescind the agreement in principle signed with the Congress and
stop payment on the $2.5 million ACE program funds identified therein?

Yes.  This agreement was rushed by the government at the last
minute before an election, and has divided rather than united the Chinese
Canadian community.  A Conservative Government would take a constructive
and consensual approach to resolving this issue, as a previous Conservative
government did with respect to redress of the unjust wartime internment of
Japenese-Canadians.

Question 4: Do you support good-faith negotiations with the representatives of
head tax families as to the nature and extent of redress for the impact of 62
years of legislated racism on head tax families and the Chinese Canadian
community as a whole, including a transparent and legitimate process of
gathering input from the head tax families and the broader Chinese Canadian
community?

A Conservative government would work with the entire
Chinese-Canadian community to establish a consensus for reconciliation and
redress.

*****************

January 7, 2006

RE: Ontario Coalition of Head Tax
Payers and Families Questionnaire

Attached please find the response of the New Democratic
Party to your 2006 Election Survey.  It
is the policy of our party to respond to surveys on behalf of all New Democratic
candidates.  

Please note that our election platform has yet to be
released. We invite you to consult our platform after it is released for more
information on the issues you raise in your questionnaire.

Thank you for your interest in the views of the New
Democratic Party on the critical issues facing Canadians. 

We appreciate your efforts to help voters make an informed
decision on voting day.  

Sincerely,

Jack Layton

Leader of Canada’s
NDP 

Question 1: Do you
support an
all-party Parliamentary resolution to acknowledge the injustice and racial
discrimination, and to recognize the suffering of individual Chinese Canadians,
their families, and the entire Chinese Canadian community that resulted from
this legislated racism, including the emotional and financial hardship, and the
forced separation of families?

Question 1: Do you support an all-party Parliamentary
resolution to acknowledge the injustice and racial discrimination, and to
recognize the suffering of individual Chinese Canadians, their families, and
the entire Chinese Canadian community that resulted from this legislated
racism, including the emotional and financial hardship, and the forced
separation of families?

Yes. The
NDP believes the Prime Minister
should formally apologize in the House of Commons to the Chinese community, the
payers and their families.

Question 2: Do you
support the
return of a symbolic amount to the approximately 250 surviving head tax payers
and surviving spouses?

Yes. In
October 2004, Libby Davies our multiculturalism critic MP tabled a motion
asking for an apology and redress for head tax payers, their families and
representatives.

Question 3: Will you
rescind the agreement in principle signed with the Congress and stop payment on
the $2.5 million ACE program funds identified therein?

Yes. The NDP has called on the government to quash the
existing agreement in principle, go back to the table with all the relevant
groups, including key Chinese Canadian head tax payers, their families and
representatives, and find a compromise and fair deal for everyone.  The
government has a responsibility to acknowledge the diversity of the Chinese Canadian
community and find a course of compromise. It is completely unacceptable for
the Liberal government to exclude at least 4000 head tax payers, their families
and descendants through an agreement with only one part of the community.

Question 4: Do you
support

• good-faith
  negotiations with the representatives of head tax families as to the
  nature and extent of redress for the impact of 62 years of legislated
  racism on head tax families and the Chinese Canadian community as a whole,
  including a transparent and legitimate process of gathering input from the
  head tax families and the broader Chinese Canadian community?

Yes. The
NDP has called on the Liberal government to acknowledge past hardships for
Chinese Canadians through the Chinese head tax and exclusion legislation in a
way that unites the community rather than deliberately divides it. Indeed, On
November 22, 2005 NDP MP Bill Siksay joined NDP Jack
Layton and BC NDP MPs to call on the
Prime Minister “to find a compromise and fair deal for all Chinese Canadians
head tax payers and their families.”

*************

Envoi par courriel

Le 6 janvier 2006

Susan Eng, co-chair

Ontario Coalition
of Head Tax Payers and Families

Madame, 

Vous trouverez, ci-joint, les réponses au
questionnaire que vous nous avez fait parvenir dans le cadre du déclenchement
des élections fédérales 2005-2006.

Nous espérons que les réponses fournies vous permettront
de mieux comprendre notre action politique.  

Nous vous prions d’agréer, Madame,  l’_expression de nos sentiments distingués. 

 

Dominic Labrie

Cabinet du chef du Bloc
Québécois
3750, Crémazie Est, bureau 307
Montréal (Québec)
H2A 1B6

 ELECTION QUESTIONS

Canada's “National
Dream” was realized when the Last Spike was driven to complete the
transcontinental railway in 1885. The ceremony excluded the Chinese railway workers
who blasted through the Rockies and lay the tracks and,
for thousands, gave their lives to the building of this country.

Instead of gratitude, the
government imposed the head tax on all new Chinese immigrants – $50 in 1885,
increased to $100 in 1900 and finally $500 in 1903.
In all, $23 million in head taxes was paid.
Finally, in 1923, the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed to stop Chinese
immigration altogether until the legislation was repealed in 1947.

Question 1: Do
you support

· an all-party
Parliamentary resolution to acknowledge the injustice and racial
discrimination, and to recognize the suffering of individual Chinese Canadians,
their families, and the entire Chinese Canadian community that resulted from
this legislated racism, including the emotional and financial hardship, and the
forced separation of families?

Oui.
Le Bloc Québécois a même proposé des amendements au projet de loi C-333
afin d’inclure des réparations.

The Chinese Canadian National
Council (CCNC) started in 1984 to campaign for redress for the 62 years of
legislated racism. Over 4,000 head taxpayers and families registered with CCNC
across Canada. But after 20 years of
foot dragging by successive federal governments, there are only a couple
hundred head tax payers or surviving spouses alive today.

Question 2: Do you support

· the return of a symbolic amount
to the approximately 250 surviving head tax payers and surviving spouses?

Oui.
Au cours de l’étude du projet de loi C-333
lors des réunions du Comité permanent, les amendements proposés par les députés du Bloc
Québécois et du NPD en ce sens ont été rejetés par les députés libéraux et
conservateurs membres du Comité.

Notamment, un amendement prévoyant un
dédommagement pour les personnes ayant payé une taxe d'entrée, leur famille et
leurs descendants en ligne directe de même qu’un amendement du Bloc Québécois demandant que le
gouvernement fédéral négocie directement avec les familles qui ont été victimes
de la taxe d’entrée et de l’acte d’exclusion et leurs représentants, ont été
rejeté sur vote des membres du Comité.

In
its 2005 federal budget, Prime Minister Paul Martin’s government set aside $25
million to address redress claims from several communities but it set
preconditions on the so-called Acknowledgement, Commemoration and Education
[ACE] program: “no apology, no compensation”. Despite widespread opposition,
the government rushed to sign an agreement in principle to allocate $2.5
million from the ACE program to the National Congress of Chinese Canadians
which accepted the preconditions but which does not represent head tax
families.

Question 3: Will you rescind the
agreement in principle signed with the Congress and stop payment on the $2.5
million ACE program funds identified therein?

Le texte du projet de projet de loi C-333
visant à reconnaître les injustices commises à l'égard des immigrants chinois
par suite de l'imposition d'une taxe d'entrée et de l'adoption de lois
d'exclusion, à souligner la contribution remarquable de ces immigrants au
Canada, prévoit aussi des mesures reconnaissance, de commémoration et
d’éducation.

Le projet de loi original proposait que le
gouvernement fédéral négocie avec le National Congress of Chinese Canadians
afin qu’une entente soit conclue sur les mesures réparatoires à mettre en
œuvre.  Ces mesures réparatoires devaient
prendre forme sous des projets éducatifs. (art.4)

Le projet de loi C-333 modifié et présenté à la Chambre
ne comporte plus cet élément de reconnaissance de la contribution des
immigrants chinois mais plutôt sur des mesures qui seront négociées
avec une seule organisation de la communauté chinoise en vue de la
reconnaissance des mesures d’exclusion qui ont été imposées aux
Canadiens d’origine chinoise. 

Le Bloc Québécois est en faveur de la mise en œuvre de mesures éducatives et commémoratives mais
déplore le fait qu’un seul groupe puisse négocier avec le gouvernement fédéral
et qu’il y ait des conditions que doit accepter l’interlocuteur représentant la
communauté chinoise canadienne. Le Bloc Québécois a tenté d’amendé C-333 afin que le gouvernement fédéral négocie
directement avec les familles qui ont été victimes de la taxe d’entrée et de
l’acte d’exclusion et leurs représentants. L’amendement a été rejeté par les conservateurs
et les libéraux.

The
process of reconciliation cannot begin until the federal government deals
directly with those most affected: the head tax families. It must also
negotiate in good faith with groups that the head tax families themselves chose
to represent them, not those that the government chooses for them.

Question
4: Do you support

· good-faith
negotiations with the representatives of head tax families as to the nature and
extent of redress for the impact of 62 years of legislated racism on head tax
families and the Chinese Canadian community as a whole, including a transparent
and legitimate process of gathering input from the head tax families and the
broader Chinese Canadian community?

Dans sa version originale, le texte du projet
de loi C-333 présenté à la Chambre des communes proposait que le gouvernement
fédéral négocie avec le National Congress of Chinese Canadians afin qu’une
entente soit conclue sur les mesures réparatoires à mettre en œuvre.  Ces mesures réparatoires devaient prendre
forme sous des projets éducatifs. (art.4)

Lors des débats de 2^e lecture du
projet de loi C-333, soit le 21 février et le 18 avril 2005, des députés
libéraux et conservateurs ont insisté sur la reconnaissance et les mesures réparatoires
dont fait mention le projet de loi. 

Plus tard, au cours de l’étude du projet de
loi C-333 lors des réunions du Comité permanent, le NPD,
soutenu par le Bloc Québécois, a proposé un amendement qui demandait que le
gouvernement fédéral négocie avec le Conseil national des
canadiens et chinois et d’autres groupes représentatifs afin d’élargir les
interlocuteurs de la communauté chinoise du Canada qui pourraient participer
aux négociations.  Cependant, les
membres libéraux et conservateurs du Comité ont 
voté contre cet amendement.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
MAJOR
OPPOSITION PARTIES COMMIT TO FULL HEAD TAX REDRESS

Toronto and Vancouver, January 8, 2006:

Despite his widely reported apology for the injustice of the Chinese Head Tax and Exclusion Act, Prime Minister Paul Martin and his party are the sole remaining hold outs in refusing to formally commit to full head tax redress. Three of his cabinet ministers have publicly supported some elements of a just resolution and transparent reconciliation process including an apology but none have put it in writing.

 The Conservative Party, the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois have issued formal responses to the election questionnaire posted on the web site: www.headtaxredress.org [the responses and earlier news releases issued by the parties may also be found there].

The three opposition parties all support the call for a an official apology of the government to be given in Parliament, direct redress for the surviving head taxpayers and spouses, immediate cancellation of the rushed deal to allocate $2.5 million to the National Congress of Chinese Canadians and good faith, broadly based consultations and negotiations including head tax families.

“At this rate, we don’t need the Prime Minister’s commitment since we will have the support of the majority of the House of Commons no matter which party forms a minority government.” said Susan Eng, Co-chair, Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families.  “So it’s hard to understand why the Prime Minister and his party persist in refusing to do the right thing.”

At an all candidates’ meeting in Markham on Saturday January 7th, Minister of Revenue, John McCallum endorsed the Prime Minister’s apology but refused to countenance any compensation even for the 250 or so surviving head tax payers and spouses, calling it a “slippery slope” – presumably referring the chance of legal liability. He held onto this line despite being confronted with the fact that the court has ruled that there is no legal liability but a strong moral responsibility to provide redress for the 62 years of legislated racism.

The opposition parties agree that the $2.5 million deal under the so called ACE program should be rescinded. The Liberal candidates do not address this although they are still the government until Election Day and the only party able to actually do anything with the deal immediately.

“The one thing in their power is to stop payment under the rushed deal that has so enraged a growing segment of the Chinese Canadian community.” said Bill Chu, spokesperson for the B.C. Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers, Their Spouses and Descendants. “They must know by now that the group picked by the government to sign a rushed pre-election deal was unrepresentative and head tax families were excluded from consultations. In fact, they could just use the $2.5 million announced before the election to deal with the people who lived through the years of isolation and exclusion because of that racist legislation. They are all in the 90s now and should see justice while they are still with us.”

Earlier this week, the Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families (Ontario Coalition), along with the B.C. Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Descendents (B.C. Coalition) and the Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC) issued a list of some 20 federal ridings in which the Chinese Canadian vote could affect the outcome of the election over the head tax issue.

All federal political parties were pushed to take a stand on this important issue with more than 1 million Chinese Canadians – who account for 3.5% of the total population and for as much as 40% of constituents in several key ridings, particularly in British Columbia and Ontario. According to Statistics Canada, 40% of Chinese Canadians live in the Toronto area, while 33% live in the Vancouver area.

 “After 20 years, the head tax campaign has finally gained some ground: all parties are calling for an apology, most recognize the mistake of not consulting head tax families, Chinese Canadian voters have been motivated across the country and politicians are feeling their clout.” said Colleen Hua, National President, Chinese Canadian National Council. “But most important, because head tax redress is now clearly an election issue, all Canadians are watching to see what the government [regardless of who forms it] does to redress the injustice inflicted by legislation on generations of Chinese Canadians.”

Canada's “National Dream” was realized when the Last Spike was driven to complete the transcontinental railway in 1885. Instead of gratitude for the Chinese railway workers – thousands of whom gave their lives to the building of this country – the government imposed a head tax on all new Chinese immigrants, collecting more than $23 million by 1923. That year, the government passed the Chinese Exclusion Act to stop all Chinese immigration to Canada. The racist legislation was not repealed until 1947.
 

–30–

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Ontario Coalition of Head Tax Payers and Families
(Toronto and Ottawa)
Susan Eng, co-chair, (416) 960-0312
Avvy Go, legal counsel, (647) 271-9357
Yew Lee, co-chair, (819) 827-3357

B.C. Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers, Their Spouses and Descendants (Vancouver)
Bill Chu, spokesperson (604) 261-6526

Chinese Canadian National Council
Colleen Hua, National President (647) 299-1775
Christine Li, CCNC National Executive, (416)731-3727

Vancouver Centre all-candidates meeting:  Svend, Hedy and the rest of them…

It was very crowded, and I was unable to initially get into the
meeting.  I went for coffee with a friend, Janek Kuchmistrz,
who had run as the provincial Green Party candidate earlier in the
year.  Then I went for a short visit with my 95 year old
grandmother, who told me stories about how challenging in head been to
grow up during the Head Tax and Exclusion Act period, then I came back
before the meeting ended.  By that time, there was more standing
room.

Head Tax did not really come up at the Vancouver Centre all-candidates meeting.  Not even after Hedy Fry's
statement of “those people with their little issues” – recorded on CBC
TV news last Friday.  Most of the audience was white, despite the
ridings supposed 20% Chinese population, or is it 20,000 voters… I
forget – one or the other… but enough to make a difference in voting
for a close race.

Svend Robingson brought up the head tax issue as an example of the Liberals flip-flopping.

Other candidates included Tony Fogarassy for the Conservatives, Jared Evans for the Greens, then the Marijuana Party and a Christian party.

After the meeting, I did approach Hedy Fry and ask her
position about the head tax redress apology.  She said “An apology
had been made.”  I asked her about individual compensation. 
She said no
compensation.

She said “It would be a mistake to give compensation because every
group would be asking for compensation. Where would you stop?”

“But the Japanese Canadians got individual compensation,” I said.  And then her answer surprised me…

She said that it
was the Conservatives under Brian Mulroney who gave compensation.

“Well you got your answer,” said Janek, “Hedy Fry says that the
Conservatives made a mistake by giving individual compensation to the
Japanese Canadians.”

Hmmm…. so if Chinese Canadians want individual compensation we should vote in the Conservatives?

Or maybe the NDP?

On the other hand, Svend Robinson was very gracious.
He is in favour of individual compensation for surviving head tax
payers and spouses.  And he added that he first worked with Margaret
Mitchell in the 1980's on the head tax issues.

And then, Svend said… “and you're working to help save the Kogawa House,” acknowledging my community work to create a new literary monument for Vancouver.

The other candidates were no longer in sight afterwards… except the Green party Candidate… then I missed talking with him.

Grand Chief Edward John says PM Paul Martin's apology isn't good enough – “He should ask for forgiveness”

I attended the Liberal press conference where Ministes David Emerson
and Ujjal Dosangh tabled their BC platform and policy meeting today at
the Liberal Headquarters.

Nobody mentioned head tax – not once.
Fairchild Radio said that they have been covering everyday…
World Journal was surprised….

I am sure that a question would have arose – but Dosanjh cut off questioning.

I just wanted to say thank you, to David Emerson and Ujjal Dosangh for
moving the apology and head tax issue forward, then ask them to next
rescind the Agreement in Principle now, given that they have said they
will ask PM Paul Martin to make an offical apology in the House of
Commons (once re-elected).

I did talk to one of the Liberal handlers, and expressed my thoughts,
and he was able to introduce me to David Emerson when he walked around
the corner in the next moment.

“Thank you for taking the lead for the head tax apology,”  I told him.

He was pleased and gracious in recieving the good news, and he said it was important for them to do so.

I next said that “But many Chinese Canadians feel that it wasn't a real
apology, and It's important for the Prime Minister to say it for
English Media, because all the descendants like myself speak English,
and to rescind the AiP.

Emerson appeared understanding, and I think he said “English media? We'll see what we can do.”
http://www.fns.bc.ca/about/e_john.htm

I also talked with Grand Chief Edward John,
of the First Nations
Summit, who was there to see the Liberals follow up on First Nations
issues.  He says that the Paul Martin “apology” for Chinese
Canadians was not good enough.  John agreed that an apology is
more important than acknowledgment.  And in
an apology, for English media, that the Prime Minister should say “We
ask for forgiveness.”

I like this man.  He speaks well, and
with presence.  He is looking forward to redress settlement with the
next government.  He knows it is coming.  He says the problems and the
delay is with the government policies.  I tell him that Joy Kogawa says
that HEALING was the most important thing that came from the Japanese
Canadian redress.  Edward John agrees.

Hanson Lau press conference: PM's apology “not good enough”

Hanson Lau held a press conference Thursday morning with
representatives from the head tax survivor and descendant community,
such as John Wong and Foon Chan – all seniors whose respective
grandfather and father-in-law had paid the head tax, and whose families
were separated by the Chinese Exclusion Act.

All said that Paul Martin's “apology was not good enough”

“If Paul Martin is really sincere, he should commit to making a formal
apology in the House of Commons,” said John Wong – a head tax
descendant who grew up separated from his father because of the
Exclusion Act, and was only able to come to Canada in the late 1950's.

Hanson Lau
was a radio commentator when he first invited people to bring head tax
certificates to his office, in the 1980's, and helped to lead the head
tax redress movement at the time.  He is featured and interviewed
in the NFB film directed by Karen Cho, In the Shadow of Gold Mountain, which will again be shown this Sunday at 10pm PST on CBC Newsworld.

More related stories in the media are reporting that many Chinese Canadians are unhappy with Martin's  head tax apology

Apology unwelcome
24 Hours Vancouver, Canada
… Mr. Martin's apology is very insincere,” said Hanson Lau, a former Chinese radio broadcaster involved in the head tax redress movement.

Political debate heats up over Chinese head tax
CBC News, Canada – 12 hours ago
A
federal Liberal cabinet minister says he's changed his mind and
Chinese-Canadians who paid the head tax to enter Canada should receive
an official apology …


Martin's apology for head tax 'just the beginning' for voters
Globe and Mail, Canada
… medals to the head–tax payers equivalent in value to $500. Since the 1980s, former radio commentator Hanson Lau said there was always demand for an apology and …

PM sorry for head tax Globe and Mail

A real Head Tax apology should Stand On Guard for True Patriot Love – instead of a Chinaman's Chance for fair redress.

Here is my re-written and more thoughtfully edited response to the Tyee Election Blog article by Richard Warnika  Head Tax Apology Falls Flat

The “word on the street” is that the entire head tax redress positioning by the Liberals, has been dumbfounding.  When the Liberals released the November 26th Agreement-in-Principle for redress of immigration and internment issues, they only negotiated with organizations that would agree to their preconditions of “No Apology” and “No compensation.”  

But now they have flip flopped the day after it is reported that the Conservatives are leading over them.  This is like the school yard bully who refuses to apologize after it was proven that he stole your lunch money, but only “apologizes” through an intermediary, when he is pressed after realizing he is no longer popular:

A true and sincere apology would be:

My initial response to the apology can be found on my blog article: “Did Paul Martin Really Apologize or did he duck?  If it waddles like an apology, and it quacks like an apology… it must be a duck!
The original November 26th announcement was also accompanied by a list of 260+ organizations that were being “represented” by the four signatory organizations of the Chinese Canadian Military Museum, Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto, and the Montreal Chinese Cultural Centre (which has been admitted to be a non-entity), and the National Congress of Chinese Canadians, which only has a website in Chinese (go figure!) Check this Epoch Times article, Head Tax Still a Headache regarding the controversies.

Many organizations' names were repeated on the list, and many have since asked to be removed for various reasons.  Only 3 organizations actively have anything to do with Chinese-Canadian historical programming.  The Chinese Canadian National Council – which was listed by mistake – because they have always asked for an apology and for individual compensation, the Chinese Canadian Veterans Association – who have always asked for an apology. The Chinese Cultural Centre in Vancouver came under some controversy
when their President admitted that she did not consult or inform her
board.

The veterans only agreed to the No Apology, because they were told that “Acknowledgement” is like an “Apology” and because they would like to see some settlement before the remaining members die.  These are Canadians of Chinese ancestry who went to fight for Canada in WW2 in the hopes that they could prove their loyalty to Canada and somehow argue for voting francise for all Chinese-Canadians.  This is not the way to treat our respected elders. Click here for a Vancouver Courier Story featuring my grand-uncle Daniel Lee asking for an apology

I am 5th generation Canadian, a descendant of Rev. Chan Yu Tan.  He was a Christian missionary who taught English to the Chinese immigrants, and always told his family to learn the Canadian ways.  In every subsequent generation there has been inter-racial marriage with caucasian-Canadians.  We have an Indian Chief, and a Miss Canada runner up in our family.  All my maternal cousins have married caucasians.  We are Canadian.  

We deserve better than an off-the-cuff remark on ethnic radio, when his polls are slipping.

It's about standing on guard for true patriot love – instead of a “Chinaman's Chance” for fair redress.

The Tyee: Head-tax apology falls flat – I explain why many Chinese-Canadians are “not impressed” by Paul Martin's apology

Richard Warnica of The Tyee telephoned me on Thursday asking for my take on Paul Martin's “apology” which I wrote on my blog titled Did Paul Martin really apologize for Head Tax or did he duck? 

Head-tax apology falls flat

Paul Martin got a lot of press today for apologizing, in a Fairchild radio interview, for the head – tax imposed on Chinese immigrants until 1923.

The issue has nagged the Liberals for the whole campaign, and I won’t rehash the whole deal here. (You can read about it here)

But until Tuesday, the government line was
that an apology would expose the government to massive liability, an
opinion they’ve now, apparently, dropped.

I first read about the issue on Gung Haggis Fat Choy,
a local blog written by Todd Wong, a Vancouver community activist. I
called Wong to ask him about the apology; he was not impressed. Why?

For the rest of the article… go to here

Chinese 'feel betrayed' by Liberals
John Gleeson, Winnipeg Sun
January 5, 2006

If you want to take a measure of declining Liberal fortunes in the latter
half of the election campaign, look no further than Canada's
Chinese-Canadian community.

One million strong, Chinese-Canadians have long been counted on by
Liberal politicians to “deliver the vote” in the Grit strongholds of
Toronto and Vancouver. This time around, they could be the key to Paul
Martin's defeat on Jan. 23.

Just ask Susan Eng, co-chair of the nonpartisan Ontario Coalition of Head
Tax Payers and Families, whether she has noticed a shift away from
traditional Liberal support in Toronto's Chinese-Canadian community.

“You had better believe it!” Eng says.

She cites the head tax issue — which the Liberals “have handled very
badly” — as the key reason.

“It has wakened up the Chinese-Canadian community like nothing else. I
have been blown over by how avid the Chinese-language media has been over
it.”

But that's not all. The revelation that a senior Ontario Liberal
“jokingly” compared NDP candidate Olivia Chow to a dog on his website
has “done huge damage” to the Liberals, Eng says.

“Absolutely, absolutely,” she says. “I was born in Canada but just
listening to my parents talk about it — when you call somebody a dog in
Chinese culture, it's pretty low down. It's meant and only meant as a
deep insult.

“When you call someone trailer trash, everyone will cringe. It's that
kind of comment.”

And like other past Liberal voters, many Chinese-Canadians are put off,
says Eng, by “that arrogance — that sense of entitlement.”

The Liberals, she says, “felt they owned the (Chinese-Canadian) vote and
a lot of people in the community gave them that loyalty. Now they feel
betrayed — that they've been taken for granted.”

The head tax issue is a hot button for Chinese-Canadians. After
thousands of Chinese railway workers lost their lives building Canada's
“national dream,” the government tried to close the door to new Chinese
immigrants by imposing first a discriminatory head tax and then the
openly racist Chinese Exclusion Act, which separated some families for a
generation until it was repealed in 1947.

Promising to take appropriate steps to acknowledge this historic wrong,
Paul Martin's Liberals added insult to injury last year by refusing to
formally apologize or to even meet with the estimated 250 head tax
survivors, now in their nineties, to discuss a fair settlement.

Instead, in what can only be called true Grit fashion, the Liberals
announced they would hand $2.5 million over to the National Congress of
Chinese Canadians, a group that has no links to the head tax survivors or
the 20-year fight for redress — but does have plenty of ties to the
Liberal Party of Canada (and Martin's preferred trading partner, the
People's Republic of China).

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper has — once again — taken a more
“compassionate Canadian” position on the issue than the Liberals,
pledging both fairly negotiated redress and an official apology if the
Tories form the next government. “He was first out of the gate,” says
Eng.

Martin, of course, now out to save his bacon at any cost, can be
expected to promise anything to shore up critical Liberal support. Don't
be surprised if he promises to bring every Chinese head tax payer back to
life so he can apologize to each one in person. But, as with so many
Liberal misfires in this election campaign, Martin was caught showing his
party's arrogant disdain — and all the desperate, belated promises in
the world won't change that.

Whether it will be enough to “turn” a significant number of
Chinese-Canadian votes away from the Liberals remains an open question.
But one thing it has done, say those inside the community, is galvanize
Chinese-Canadian voters like never before.

“This is probably the first time in history that the Chinese will be able
to feel that their vote will make a difference,” says Raymond Lee, past
president of Sien Lok Society of Calgary.

About time, isn't it?

John Gleeson is the editor of the Winnipeg Sun. He can be reached by
e-mail at: jgleeson@wpgsun.com

Letters to the editor should be sent to letters@wpgsun.com.

Stephen
Harper is now going farther than Martin in apologizing… but Jack
Layton was really the first party  leader to call for an apology –
see the NDP press release from November…  NDP MP Libby Davies
has worked on this issue for years, following the pioneering work by
Margaret Mitchell in the 1980's.



FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
 
HARPER,
LIBERAL CABINET MINISTERS SUPPORT APOLOGY FOR CHINESE HEAD
TAX
 
Toronto,
January 4,
2006: Opposition
Leader Stephen Harper today called for an apology for the Chinese Head Tax and
Exclusion Act.
 
At his news
conference, in Mississauga,
Ont., this morning, he stated: “It is tough to immigrate to
Canada
and it will probably never be easy. In the past it was harder, sometimes
unjustifiably unfair. That's why, for example, our Chinese Canadian community
deserves an apology for the Head Tax and appropriate acknowledgement and
redress of that wrong.” 
 
Mr. Harper
was also the first party leader to issue formal support for head tax redress as
early as a Dec. 8, 2005, news release issued to foreclose any further support by
his Caucus member, Inky Mark [Dauphin–Swan River—Marquette] for the Liberal’s
much maligned position of “no apology, no compensation.”
 
Mr. Harper’s
comments, made as part of the Conservatives’ policy platform on immigration,
follows Industry Minister David Emerson, currently contesting the riding of
Vancouver-Kingsway where Chinese Canadians comprise 42% of the population, who
today repeated in the Globe and Mail that he’s prepared to support an apology
now that “he's heard from lawyers and the consensus is that an apology doesn't
imply liability.”
 
“We told
them from the beginning that the courts have ruled that there’s no legal
liability, but they also said there is a strong moral obligation to provide
redress,” said Avvy Go, legal counsel for the Ontario Coalition of Head Tax
Payers and Families. “This is just an excuse for the Liberals’ arrogant refusal
to apologize for 62 years of legislated racism.”
 
Health
Minister Ujjal Dosanjh also called for an apology and broader consultation
within the Chinese community presumably in answer to criticism that the group
picked by Multiculturalism Minister Raymond Chan to sign a rushed pre-election
deal was unrepresentative and head tax families were excluded from
consultations.
 
Prime
Minister Paul Martin has tried several times to state his “deep sorrow” and
finally in a radio interview on AM1470, when he was asked will he apologize, he
said, “Do I apologize? Yes, I don’t know how anyone could not regret what
occurred. The way to correct that wrong now is to place our focus now on
acknowledgement, commemoration and education.  We must recognize what
happened and ensure that never recurs – that’s where I think resources should be
concentrated.” 
 
“They’ve had
to be dragged kicking and screaming to just give an apology for the injustice –
and only because the issue has galvanized Chinese Canadian voters,” said Raymond
Lee, past president, Sien Lok Society of Calgary.
“They have yet to agree to an all-party resolution to make the apology in the
House of Commons so that it is an official apology of the Government of
Canada.”
 
“They
finally appear to be ready to talk to head tax families. Let’s hope that means
there will be immediate redress for the approximately 250 head tax payers and
spouses still alive today,” said Bill Chu, spokesperson for the B.C. Coalition
of Chinese Head Tax Payers, Their Spouses and Descendants. “In fact, they could
just use the $2.5 million announced before the election to deal with the people
who lived through the years of isolation and exclusion because of that racist
legislation. They are all in their 90s now and should see justice while they are
still with us.”
 
Prime
Minister Martin has consistently refused to speak with James Wing, 94, a head
tax payer living in his riding of Lasalle-Emard in
Montreal
and his government has ignored requests from groups representing head tax payers
like Mr. Wing and their families to engage in open and transparent consultations
and negotiations.
 
“The process
of reconciliation cannot begin until the government deals directly with the
surviving head tax payers, their spouses and families,” said William Dere of the
Chinese Canadian Redress Alliance [Montreal].
 
“After 20
years, the head tax campaign has finally gained some ground: all parties are
calling for an apology, most recognize the mistake of not consulting head tax
families, Chinese Canadian voters have been motivated across the country and
politicians are feeling their clout,” said Susan Eng, co-chair of the Ontario
Coalition. “But most important – because head tax redress is now clearly an
election issue – all Canadians are watching to see what the government,
regardless of who forms it, does to redress the injustice inflicted by
legislation on generations of Chinese Canadians.”
 
Canada's
“National
Dream” was realized when the Last Spike was driven to complete the
transcontinental railway in 1885. Instead of gratitude for the Chinese railway
workers – thousands of whom gave their lives to the building of this country –
the government imposed a head tax on all new Chinese immigrants, collecting more
than $23 million by 1923. That year, the government passed the Chinese Exclusion
Act to stop all Chinese immigration
to Canada.
The racist legislation was not repealed until 1947.



–30–
 


MEDIA
CONTACTS:
 
Ontario
Coalition of Head Tax Payers and Families
(Toronto
and Ottawa)
Susan Eng,
co-chair, (416) 960-0312
Avvy Go,
legal counsel, (647) 271-9357
           
Yew Lee, co-chair, (819) 827-3357
 
B.C.
Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers, Their Spouses and
Descendants
(Vancouver)
Bill Chu,
spokesperson, (604) 261-6526
 
Sien Lok
Society of Calgary
(Calgary)
Raymond Lee,
past president, (403) 288-3903
 
Chinese
Canadian Redress Alliance
(Montreal)
William
Dere, (514)
488-0804