In
today's Globe & Mail…. an article by Petti Fong that shows MP
cabinet minister David Emerson breaking ranks with the Liberal Party….

Emerson backs head-tax compensation

Federal apology to Chinese would not lead to legal
problems, minister now says

By PETTI FONG

Wednesday, January 4,
2006 Page S3

VANCOUVER
— Senior B.C. Liberal David Emerson said he has changed his mind and now believes
the government should apologize to Chinese immigrants who paid $500 each to
enter the country.

Mr.
Emerson said he thought the head-tax issue had been resolved in the Chinese
community when the Liberal government, in its dying days in office, announced
it would give $2.5-million to fund education programs or postage stamps as
redress for the policy that singled out Chinese immigrants.

“I
was surprised it didn't get a more positive response. If we haven't got it
right, let's look at it and see if we can improve it,” Mr. Emerson said.
“I'm certainly hearing different opinions and getting different advice.
I'm getting new information and I'm willing to shift my ground.”

A
growing, angry chorus of Chinese-Canadian voters say the government should
apologize in addition to providing compensation to individuals. From the late
1880s into the 1920s, concerns that Chinese immigrants would take jobs away
from non-Chinese resulted in a government policy to charge a tax that was the
equivalent of two years of wages.

But
Multiculturalism Minister Raymond Chan and Liberal Leader Paul Martin
steadfastly refused to apologize, saying that would open the government up to
litigation.

That's an
argument Mr. Emerson no longer buys, he said yesterday. Like Mr. Chan, he is
running for re-election in a riding where he faces tough competition and where
more than 40 per cent of voters are of Chinese background.

Mr.
Emerson said he's heard from lawyers and the consensus is that an apology
doesn't imply liability. When he was in cabinet as Industry Minister, he said
that he believed a consensus had been reached with various Chinese community
groups and that the issue was resolved.

Mr.
Emerson said he plans to bring the matter up with Mr. Martin when the Liberal
Leader campaigns in the Lower Mainland this week. While he believes the
government should apologize, Mr. Emerson said, he is not convinced there should
be individual compensation.

Mr. Chan
dismissed his colleague's position yesterday, refusing to say any more about
the issue.

Ujjal Dosanjh,
the Health Minister, who is also running in a riding where 40 per cent of
voters are Chinese, said yesterday the government needs to talk to more people
in the Chinese community.

In 1992,
when he was an NDP member of the B.C. Legislature, Mr. Dosanjh
called for an apology and for the government to work with community groups to
reach a solution.

He said
yesterday that it now appears not enough consultation occurred before the
Liberals announced $50-million to redress historical grievances of seven ethnic
groups, including the Chinese.

“I
was given to understand there was significant consultation and broad consensus.
What I'm led to believe now is there is a need for broader consultation and
broader consensus,” Mr. Dosanjh said yesterday.
“I believe an apology has to be part of that.”

In an
interview with the daily Ming Pao, Mr. Martin indicated he's willing to speak
with the Chinese community, but did not directly answer the question about
whether the government should apologize and provide compensation.

“I strongly
believe that collecting head tax from Chinese immigration was wrong, morally
wrong,” Mr. Martin said in the interview last week. “I am in deep
sorrow over the head-tax history.”

Mr.
Martin also said his government is the first to address the issue and indicated
he will let both sides try to change his mind.

Sid Tan,
with the Chinese Canadian National Council, said yesterday that Mr. Emerson and
Mr. Dosanjh are recognizing a mistake was made in the
announcement.

“They're
piping up because they know this issue can hurt them politically,” he
said. “The private dignity of the Chinese community is exercising its
power as a voting block.”

 

From the BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses, and Descendants

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LIBERAL POSITION ON CHINESE HEAD TAX REDRESS  SOFTENS WITH KEY RIDINGS AT RISK

Toronto, January 2, 2006: Prime Minister Paul Martin and several key cabinet ministers appear to be trying to give the impression that they are softening their stance on an apology and redress for the Chinese head tax and Exclusion Act, according to comments in the Chinese-language media.

            “We are asking the Prime Minister to clarify for all Canadians exactly what is his stance on a parliamentary apology and redress for 62 years of legislated racism against Chinese Canadians,” said Avvy Go, legal counsel for the Ontario Coalition of Head Tax Payers and Families.

            Martin, who is being directly challenged on the head tax issue in his own riding of Lasalle-Emard in Montreal by Bloc Quebecois candidate May Chiu, was quoted Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005, in Ming Pao Daily as saying “it was wrong to collect head-tax from Chinese immigrants.  It was morally wrong.”

            In what appears to be a capitulation to the Opposition and public demands for justice, Martin said he recognized the deep divisions in the Chinese Canadian community resulting from his government’s policy on how to deal with the head-tax issue.

            “The Prime Minister is beginning to feel uneasy about his government’s treatment of this issue, which resonates as much for voters who see it as a fundamental issue of social justice as it does for Chinese Canadians,” said Susan Eng, co-chair of the Ontario Coalition of Head Tax Payers and Families.

            “But be forewarned: Mr. Martin’s pronouncements to the Chinese press are little more than campaign promises made when his party is on the ropes.”

            Indeed, the Liberals appear to be back-peddling on a $2.5 million agreement in principle with the National Congress of Chinese Canadians, a group that has many Liberal supporters but no track record on human rights issues, including head tax redress.

            Earlier this month, Industry Minister David Emerson, currently contesting the riding of Vancouver-Kingsway where Chinese Canadians comprise 42% of the population, told Sing Tao Daily that if elected he would become an advocate “to take another look” at the head tax settlement. Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh, running in Vancouver South where Chinese Canadians account for 42% of the electorate, supported head tax redress when he was a B.C. cabinet minister.

            Given the Liberals’ policy under the ACE Program of “no apology, no compensation,” drafted by junior Minister of State (Multiculturalism) Raymond Chan, the Ontario Coalition, with the Chinese Canadian National Council and other groups representing head tax payers, demand that Mr. Martin clarify his party’s position.

            “We are sending an open letter to the Prime Minister to ask if his recent comments amount to a reversal of policy on redress – particularly overturning the conditions of ‘no apology, no compensation’ under the ACE Program,” Eng said.

            All major Opposition parties have declared their support for a full apology in Parliament and for broad-based negotiations on appropriate redress for the estimated 250 surviving head tax payers and their spouses, as well as for the whole Chinese Canadian community.

 –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

 

 

 

Open letter to the Prime Minister

Dear Prime Minister:

We believe you are sincere when you say you want to do something about the 62 years of legislated racism under the Chinese head tax and Exclusion Act. And your budget announcement this year of funds to back up your intentions was welcomed by those of us who have been campaigning for head tax redress for over 20 years. Yet, your government’s actions since then have only undermined your purpose.

No doubt you are aware of the widespread opposition to the official stance of “no apology, no compensation” and to your rushed agreement with the National Congress of Chinese Canadians while refusing to deal with the people most directly affected, the head tax payers and their families. All the opposition parties have called for an apology and good-faith negotiations with groups that represent actual head tax families.

Your recent comments quoted in a Chinese-language newspaper, Ming Pao, suggest that you may be reconsidering your position and we need to ascertain exactly what you mean. A simple yes or no will suffice.

According to the article, you expressed “deep sorrow” for the head tax and state that it was morally wrong. Most Canadians would accept that as an apology. But to be a proper apology from the government for its own past injustice, your words must be spoken in Parliament, as was the apology given by the Prime Minister of New Zealand on the Chinese New Year in 2001.

Your Multiculturalism Minister Raymond Chan has repeatedly stated that a full apology would expose the government to lawsuits although he knows the courts have ruled clearly that there is no legal liability but a strong moral obligation to provide redress. You acknowledge that collecting the head tax was morally wrong. So wouldn't it be morally correct to simply apologize?

If you are re-elected Prime Minister, will you sponsor 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?

You state your love and respect for Chinese Canadians. Does that extend to the 250 or so surviving head tax payers or spouses, mostly in their 90s, who deserve justice while they are still with us? Your wish to educate Canadians about this historical injustice would be best fulfilled by making a return of a symbolic amount to them. If re-elected, will you do this?

Indeed, since you have already decided to spend $2.5 million to start the process of reconciliation, why not rescind the ill-conceived agreement with the National Congress and instead re-direct those funds towards redress for those elders of our community who lived through the injustice? Most are in frail health and deserve your love and respect now, not after they pass on.

Finally, you express your willingness to start more dialogue with Chinese Canadians and gave as an example your recent meeting in Montreal's Chinatown. We note that you were meeting with the same group of people who signed your agreement with the National Congress. What we meant when we called for broader representation from the community was good-faith, transparent negotiations with head tax payers, their families and groups representing them. For example, instead of meeting with your party faithful in Chinatown, you could have visited with James Wing, 94, a head tax payer living in your riding of LaSalle-Emard. The nearly 3,000 Chinese Canadian constituents in your riding would certainly take notice of even such a simple gesture.

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

If re-elected, will 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?

This is an issue of justice and reconciliation – which has become an issue in this election and will continue beyond January 23rd. For the sake of the few remaining head tax payers and their spouses, Mr. Prime Minister, we hope you will offer them justice in time.

Sincerely,

Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families
Chinese Canadian National Council, and

B.C. Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers, Their Spouses and Descendants
(Vancouver)

Sien Lok Society of Calgary
(Calgary)

Chinese Canadian Redress Alliance
(Montreal)

Paul Martin’s statement on Chinese Head Tax Not Good Enough! – Mary-Woo Sims

Mary -Woo Sims is a long time human rights advocate and a friend of
mine.  She helped Gim Wong on his motorcycle Ride for Redress,
motorbiking up to Craigelacchie, the site of the “Last Spike” with him
in 2004.  She is running as an NDP candidate for Port
Moody/Westwood/Port Coquitlam.

MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release December 29, 2005

 

Paul
Martin’s statement on Chinese Head Tax Not Good Enough!

 

Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam – NDP
candidate Mary Woo Sims and long time human rights advocate says Paul Martin’s
statement that he feels “deep sorrow” over the Chinese Head Tax imposed in the
late 1800’s and early 1900’s is not good enough.

 

In an article published in a major Chinese
daily Ming Pao on December 28, 2005, Paul Martin, who met with Chinese
community leaders in Montreal on Dec. 28, 2006 reportedly said that he felt
deep sorrow over the Chinese Head Tax and that he would take the advice of
Raymond Chan and David Emerson to review the situation after the election.

 

“Why won’t he just come out and apologize
to Chinese Canadians for the imposition of the Chinese Head Tax and the
subsequent Chinese Exclusion Act?” said Sims. 
“They have used the words ‘deep regret’ and now ‘deep sorrow’.  Why don’t they take the next step and make a
formal apology to Chinese Canadians like New Zealand’s Prime Minister the Rt.
Honourable Helen Clark did in 2002 over similar treatment in that country of
its Chinese citizens earlier in the last century?”

 

Sims, who has been actively working on the
Head Tax and Exclusion Act redress movement for years and who started the “Gim
Wong Ride For Redress” rode with 82 year old Wong to Craigallachie, BC in 2004
to try to bring attention to this historic injustice.  “Raymond Chan has failed Head Tax payers and their descendents in
his attempts to divide Chinese community leaders on the appropriate way to
redress this issue and David Emerson’s use of a Chinese insult to describe Jack
Layton shows that he simply doesn’t understand the sensitivities of the
community” said Sims.

 

Sims supports canceling the deal made by
the Liberals to redress the Head Tax just before the election call.  “Today in Toronto, our leader, Jack Layton
said that ‘we need to have a response from our government that starts with an
apology – an open and complete apology to the Chinese community.  That has got to be the starting place for
redress.’  I agree with the stand that
my leader has taken and look forward to working with him in Parliament to
achieve a just redress for this historic racist injustice” said Sims.

-30-

 

For more information call:  Joy Langan 604-868-6123

Boxing Day Head Tax stories in Media: Vancouver Sun and CKNW




VANCOUVER SUN
Tuesday » December 27 » 2005

Head-tax redress a top issue in several ridings Liberals and Conservatives have
opposite views on an issue that could sway some Lower Mainland constituencies

Jonathan Fowlie

Vancouver Sun

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Redress for the head tax Ottawa once imposed on Chinese-Canadians is
becoming a significant election issue in some ridings in B.C. and
Ontario, Chinese community leaders told a news conference Monday.

“With the Conservative party and the Liberal party taking diametrically
different positions on this, that could have an effect,” former Vancouver
councillor Tung Chan said.

Tung cited Burnaby-Douglas and Richmond as two examples of Lower
Mainland ridings where the issue is key.

“Richmond has 40 per cent Chinese-Canadians living there, so that could
well be one of the ridings where this could have a major impact,” Chan said.

Joseph Wong, president of the Chinese Canadian National Council, agreed,
saying the head tax and the recently announced $2.5-million plan by
Ottawa to address the issue are starting to be of major concern, especially in
ridings with a substantial Chinese community.

In November, the Liberal government announced a $2.5-million plan to
recognize the historic injustice of the head tax, but it did not apologize
or offer individual financial redress to victims and their families.

“As far as we are concerned, the Chinese community across Canada is
voicing our disapproval of that type of settlement,” said Wong.

“We absolutely would not accept this type of settlement imposed upon us
by the federal Liberal government,” he added.

Wong, who is also a recipient of the Order of Canada, said there are are
at least 10 Ontario ridings where the Chinese-Canadian community accounts
for at least 10 to 15 per cent of voters, and where the head tax issue
could affect the outcome.

While campaigning in Ontario earlier this month, Conservative leader Stephen
Harper changed his position on the head tax issue and joined the New
Democratic Party and Bloc Quebecois in condemning the government's
$2.5-million plan as inadequate.

Harper also called on Parliament to apologize for the head tax.

Between 1885 and 1923, the Canadian government collected $23 million in
so-called head taxes — essentially fees to immigrate to Canada — from
about 81,000 Chinese immigrants. The government went a step further
between 1923 and 1947 by imposing an outright ban on Chinese immigration.

At Monday's news conference, Wong called the head tax the “most racist,
dirtiest part of Canadian history” and demanded it be properly addressed.

“The federal government is not taking this seriously enough,” he said,
slamming the recently announced Liberal plan.

Wong went on to urge Chinese Canadians to become more involved in the
election because of the issue, though he stopped short of endorsing one
party over another.

“I'm asking Canadians of Chinese descent to participate in the political
process,” he said. “I am asking people to know about the issues they are
voting for, and also to know about the stance of their candidates and
vote accordingly.”

jfowlie@png.canwest.com

© The Vancouver Sun 200

City's Chinese community wants Ottawa to up the ante

Dec, 26 2005 – 7:20 PM

VANCOUVER/CKNW(AM980) – A group of concerned Chinese Canadians are calling
on the Liberal Government to rescind an agreement in principle on the headtax redress.

Former Vancouver City Councillor Tung Chan says on Boxing Day or not
this is about to become a major issue in the Federal election.

Reps from several groups are calling for an apology and individual
compensation, charged Chinese immigrants between 1885 and 1947.

Dr. Joseph Wong is the founding President of the Chinese Canadian
National Council, “I'm asking Canadians of Chinese descent to participate in the
political process. We know the Chinese community has not been a high
voter turnout within our community and I think that this is exactly the
problem that we are facing.”

Dr. Wong also points to recent polls suggesting 75 to 90 percent of
those asked in the Chinese Canadian community aren't satisfied with the
agreement offer which is 12 and a half million dollars in compensation.

CCNC releases Election Primer for Chinese Canadians urging them to vote and make a difference

Chinese
Canadian National Council

News
Release: December 23 2005

Chinese
Canadians Launch 2006 Election Primer; Urges Community To Vote

TORONTO. The
Chinese Canadian National Council launched its 2006 Election Primer today.
“Head Tax redress has become a key community driven election
issue,” Colleen Hua, CCNC National President said today.
“We’ve developed a questionnaire of 12 questions on a range of
topics for the Party Leaders and for the community to use when candidates knock
at their door.” 

With most of the more than one million
Chinese Canadians living in urban ridings, the federal Parties need to pay
attention to the concerns of the Chinese Canadian community. “There are
no less than 14 candidates of Chinese descent running for elected office and
Chinese Canadians are involved at all levels of this federal campaign,”
Dr. Joseph Wong, Founding President of CCNC said today, “CCNC and
equality-seeking groups urge prospective voters to register, to become familiar
with the issues, to ask questions of candidates and to vote in this upcoming
election.” 

The youth vote is important in this
election if we want an elected government that reflects all aspects of Canadian
society.  “Currently International Students are being directed to
contact their local Embassy for assistance in the case of an emergency,”
Christine Li, Co-Founder of the Chinese Canadian National Youth Council said
today.  “What is the federal government’s responsibility to
safeguard and attend to the well-being of thousands of international students
living away from home?”

NGOs face a funding crunch every year due
to the elimination of core funding some years ago. “Actually, it was
then-Finance Minister Paul Martin who delivered that lump of coal a few years
ago,” Victor Wong, CCNC Executive Director said today.
“Community-based organizations contribute greatly to society by promoting
positive social change and their efforts should be supported by the
Parties.”  

CCNC is a national human
rights organization with 27 chapters across Canada. CCNC is joined in the
campaign for redress of the Head Tax and Chinese Exclusion Act by the Ontario
Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families, BC Coalition of Head Tax
Payers Spouses and Descendants, Chinese Canadian Redress Alliance, the Association
of Chinese Canadians for Equality and Solidarity Society, and Metro Toronto
Chinese and South East Asian Legal Clinic. 

-30-

For media interviews with Chinese
Canadian National Council, please contact

Colleen Hua (647) 299-1775
Sid Tan (604) 783-1853

2006 CCNC ELECTION PRIMER

 REDRESS 

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?

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? 

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? 

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?

IMMIGRATION

It is unfair and discriminatory that
there are serious backlogs in processing immigration and sponsorship
applications in Beijing and Hong Kong locations
where Chinese applicants are concentrated, especially in comparison to other
locations such as Paris or London.  Delays are particularly long
for sponsorship applications.

Question
5: 
What would your Party do to reduce the long waiting time for these applicants?

Many Canadians feel that the current
point system is too stringent and screens out many qualified applicants. Its
emphasis on language capability discriminates against immigrants who are not of
Francophone or Anglophone background. In addition, Canada's immigration levels are not
meeting target levels, despite the continuing need for workers to build our
economy.

Question
6:
What is your Party's plan to reduce barriers to independent immigrants to Canada?

INTERNATIONAL
STUDENTS

This past summer, international students
attending university in St. John, New Brunswick, were attacked by local youth;
the story making national headlines. The Canadian Government for all its good
intentions, has not been effective in curtailing the growing number of violent
incidents targetted at international students.  Recently, two
international students were shot to death in Ottawa.

Question
7:
What is your Party's policy on the role of the Canadian Government in guarding
the well-being of International Students after they enter Canada?

CORE
FUNDING

Community-based organizations no longer
receive core funding for their daily operations and staffing resources which
has significantly impeded the participation of organizations in supporting
social change and community capacity building.  While transparent
processes and accountability are important, it is also important that the
government recognize and acknowledge the contribution of non-profit
organizations in maintaining and sustaining a stable, healthy Canadian
society.  Project funding is time limited, targetted, and does not
acknowledge the infrastructure needed to implement and deliver results.   

Question
8:
What will your Party do to restore core funding to community-based
organizations?

HEALTH

Canada is known
for its universal health care system that provides free health care for all its
citizens and ensures there are no barriers to accessing health care in every
jurisdiction of the country. 

Question
9:
What will your Party do to ensure that Canada’s Health Care System
continues to be a universal right of every Canadian and prevent the growth of
the private for-profit system? 

Health care is a right of every Canadian,
but many people living in Canada, who are not citizens, continue to contribute
to the growth and development of Canada’s economic system while waiting
to be naturalized.   

Question
10: What will your Party do to ensure that people who are not
citizens living in Canada,
continue to have access to health care while they are waiting to be
naturalized?

Canada is a
diverse country that is composed of people from a variety of different
cultural, religious and ethnic backgrounds.  Along with languages, and
culture, people bring with them different approaches and understandings of health
and health care. 

Question
11: What will your Party do to work towards the recognition and
resourcing of different approaches to health care?   

EMPLOYMENT

There is a built in assumption that our
immigration eligibility criteria matches the needs of the country, particularly
with respect to employment opportunities.  Because of a lack of
coordination and resources on the part of the government, many newcomers who
are successful in their applications to come to Canada, are not able to find
employment in their area of expertise and find themselves unemployed or working
in jobs where they are enormously over qualified.   

Question
12: What will your Party do to ensure that a plan is developed
and implemented to facilitate and expedite the accreditation process for
internationally trained professionals?

Partial
List of Federal Candidates of Chinese Descent (2006 Election)

Bloc
Quebecois

May
Chiu                    
Quebec
Meili
Faille                   
Quebec

 Conservative
Party

 Michael Chong            
Ontario
Joe
Li                          
Ontario
Inky
Mark                   
Manitoba
Kanman Wong
            British Columbia

 Liberal
Party

Raymond Chan
            British Columbia
Soeung Tang   
            Quebec
Dobie
To                     
Alberta
Simon
Yu                    
British Columbia

New
Democratic Party

John
Chan                   
Alberta
Olivia
Chow                
Ontario
Mary-Woo
Sims          British Columbia
Helen
Yum                  
Saskatchewan

Head Tax on CBC TV with Oliva Chow vs Raymond Chan

CBC TV hosted Toronto Councillor & NDP candidate and Raymond
Chan Minister of State (Multiculturalism) on TV this morning. 
This issues is becoming big and bigger as more and more Chinese
Canadian head tax descendants become more aware of the issue.  I
just had a phone call from a stranger that saw the broadcast – and
asked me how to find her grandfather's documentation.  Expect this
more and more…

Host(s): MIKE DUFFY

MIKE DUFFY: Well a murky chapter in Canadian history has resurfaced in this
federal election campaign. Just prior to the fall of the minority government,
the Liberals announced an agreement with the Chinese-Canadian community. They
would be given millions of dollars to build an educational facility to
acknowledge that Canada had put restrictions on Chinese immigrants called a
head tax which was in place from 19, I'm sorry 1885 to 1923. But many
people say the deal doesn't go far enough. Others say it will open up a
Pandora's box of litigations from other ethnic groups. Joining me tonight in
Vancouver, the Minister of Multiculturalism, the Honourable Raymond Chan, and in
Toronto the NDP candidate in that city Olivia Chow. So, Ms Chow, what's wrong
with the proposal the government's put forward to recognize that the head
tax was a wrong thing?

OLIVIA CHOW (NDP Candidate): I don't know, Mike, why it's so difficult for a
Canadian government, the Liberal party, to actually say “sorry”, apologize for
the wrong so that the 250 people that are still left, that are still alive that
have paid a head tax could at least get a sense of justice. Apologize and
then begin the reconciliation talk so that they can perhaps get a symbolic
compensation. Doesn't have to be too much. We did it for the Japanese-Canadians.
Why can't we do it for the Chinese-Canadians?

DUFFY: Let me just go back over the ground for people who may not be aware of
this issue. What the government is saying is that instead of giving money to
individual people who were harmed by this, as the Mulroney government did for
the Japanese who were interned during the Second World War, the Martin
government is saying let's give a general grant to the community and let the
community use it to build a kind of cultural centre, a memorial museum to remind
future generations of what happened. So there is a different approach between
the two.

CHOW: It's also, the way the money's being doled out is not at all
transparent. And one of the groups that are receiving the money is not formally
established yet. The Montreal Cultural Centre that was announced actually
doesn't quite formally exist. So it's murky in the way that where is the money
going, what's the formal application process, who is qualified? Are these people
are special connected friends of the Liberal party? Is that why they are getting
the money?

DUFFY: No, no, they would never do that.

CHOW: Well I don't know what the Gomery inquiry is all about.

DUFFY: The culture of entitlement. Well, we've lost Minister Chan somehow.
The satellite went down. We're working on that.

CHOW: Maybe it is the ghost of the people that have actually passed away.
It's actually quite sad.

DUFFY: It's not a very good omen. But while we try to get him back, how
serious is the division within the Chinese-Canadian community?

CHOW: If you consider the day that this was announced, this deal was
announced, it was all very secretive, but when it was announced, one of the
local Chinese stations did a poll. Eighty-eight percent of the Chinese-Canadians
that phoned in said, no, this is terrible. This is not good. Twelve percent said
ah, maybe this is a good thing. So you can tell that a lot of people said, look,
already a lot of these seniors have passed away and shouldn't we at bare minimum
apologize and then do the reconciliation so that a historical wrong can be
overcome. And just going, just throwing the money out there is a wasteful of
money and it doesn't do anything.

DUFFY: So the choice, and we're still trying to get Minister Chan, so the
choice is between giving several million dollars to a community centre to build
a kind of museum, and giving cheques to individual people. Would it be the same
amount of money? What if somebody who doesn't know this says, oh, they're just
looking for free money from the government.

CHOW: Well, actually there are certificates that they have to pay. It doesn't
have to be a big amount. It could also just be a symbolic amount. And maybe some
of these head taxpayers don't even want the money. I think the key thing is
respect them, ask them what they want to do with the money. Some of them may not
want the money. They may want to use it for education purposes. Fine. But at
least ask them, respect them. One of the group that…

DUFFY: Ms. Chow, I'm sorry, the Minister is back on the line. Minister, our
sincere apology, I don't know what happened. You've been able to hear our
discussion? RAYMOND CHAN (Minister of Multiculturalism): Yes I have been
listening.

DUFFY: We just didn't have your picture and sound. So now you've heard Ms
Chow's point of view. Tell us why the government did what it's doing and what
you hope the reaction from the community will be.

CHAN: First of all, the head tax thing is a very terrible thing that
the past government have done in the 100 years ago. And…

DUFFY: Maybe some Canadians don't understand that. Any Chinese coming to
Canada during that period from 1885 to 1920, whatever, had to pay how much for
every single person? They had to pay the Canadian government to come here.

CHAN: Close to about $500. And it is something that is terribly wrong.

DUFFY: And in those days it was a heck of a lot of money.

CHOW: You could buy a house.

CHAN: The issue is, Mike, is that the government's position is that we have
to acknowledge that this kind of thing was terribly wrong, and then we have to
commemorate and educate our children and the children of our children to the
dark pages of our history and make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen again.
But the issue is that an apology would open up the Canadian taxpayers for
unlimited liability, financial liability, and that's why you can't do it.

CHOW: Oh, excuse me. You know, this whole case has gone to the Supreme Court,
and the courts have said that this is a political issue, that apology is fine,
and they have the court case.

CHAN: No.

CHOW: They have a court case, and legally there is no other route to go, so
don't hide behind the legal pressure. Japanese-Canadians had no problem. They
had a compensation.

CHAN: The court has said that the government is not liable, but even if they
are not liable and yet we still apologize and pay out compensation that would
open up all the cases for everybody else.

DUFFY: It becomes an admission of guilt. You are afraid it becomes… CHAN:
And also legally liability.

CHOW: No.

CHAN: For limited financial cases.

CHOW: Minister, it has gone to the, Minister, it has gone to the court.

CHAN: That's right.

CHOW: The court said that there is no case for it. So the whole liability,
the legal issue is a red herring. Why wouldn't you apologize? Brian Mulroney,
even though I'm not a Tory, apologized. There was no legal case. Nothing
happened. He apologized.

DUFFY: But Ms Chow.

CHOW: So why is that a problem?

UFFY: Sorry, we're almost out of time.
Interesting, Pierre Trudeau said no way to any group, not to the Japanese, the
Chinese, no one because he said we are not responsible for the sins of our
fathers. Brian Mulroney opened to the Japanese, and now minister, you've got all
of this on your plate, not just the Chinese but many other groups, right?

CHAN: Everybody else, because the issue is that even though the courts have
said that we're not liable. but at the same time if he decided to come and
apologize then that will lead the government to be liable for everything that
the courts said we're not liable for. And that would expose the Canadian
taxpayer for unlimited financial liability.

CHOW: So let me ask you then, if you don't want to apologize, you don't want
to compensate, why are you putting aside that money, and why isn't that money
open for different groups to apply. What is it the criteria? You know that $2.5
million there is no criteria.

CHAN: This is a problem of you that you keep on… CHOW: Canadian household.

CHAN: You keep on saying that we hand out money, and now you are saying that
we have not handed out money.

CHOW: You did.

CHAN: We have not. We're just coming together with the Chinese community to
form a foundation with people from the success, from the Chinese cultural
association across Canada, with the Chinese Free Masons. We never seen that kind
of historical support from across the country of the Chinese community on one
single government project. They come together to form a foundation and then they
would judge which project they should finance and which ones they shouldn't.

DUFFY: Mr. Minister, Olivia Chow, thank you both for joining us. Terribly
sorry for the technical problems earlier. That's what happens sometimes with
live TV. We appreciate you both for coming in tonight.

–30–

Successful Dec 18 meeting for head tax payers and descendants

A good meeting today with lots of action and movement.  Sid counted
about 85 people attending our meeting.  I chaired, with interpretation
from Gabriel, and Joseph.  Also speaking were Sid, Foon, Thekla and
our special Toronto guest Dora Nipp.

We followed the agenda with a few additions which were:
1 – Do we organize officially under the societies act and with what name – generally the answer was Yes – and same name
2 – Eric Chan is doing a documentary and interviewing people willing to share stories about head tax and exclusion
3 – Talk by Dora Nipp, and what is happening in Toronto and Ontario
4 – Cynthia is doing an art project and would like copies of head tax certifcate images

Lots of people commented on what we could
do.  They brought photocopies of head tax certificates, and they signed
petitions, and they took petitions and information sheets home with
them.

Our strategy for the Christmas break is to go enjoy our
parties with families and friends, and share with them the head tax
redress issues.  It is important that our numbers will grow.

In January we will:
1 – hold workshops on how to research your family head tax certificate
2 – hold information sessions/meetings on head issues as we have been doing.
3 – collect stories on head tax payers and descendants
4 – organize all-candidate meetings on head tax issues.

Our next meeting will be January 8th – 1:30pm
Sunday at Quan Lung Sai Tong Association
164 East Hastings St. – just across the lane from Carnegie Centre.

For more information
please contact myself Todd Wong 604-240-7090
or Sid Tan 604-433-6169

Foon Chang presents head tax certificate copy to NDP leader Jack Layton in Vancouver

NDP
leader Jack Layton accepts a copy of the Head Tax certifate of Foon
Sing's  now deceased father-in-law, with NDP candidate Mary-Woo
Sims – photo Ron Kidd.

At an NDP rally this morning in Vancouver at
Subeez Restaurant.  Foon Chang cautiously and courageously approached
NDP federal leader Jack Layton with a copy of the head tax certificate
of her now deceased father-in-law.  She is a Chinese language speaker
and unsure of her English language skills.

Mary-Woo Sims, NDP
candidate for Port Moody-Westwood-Coquitlam translated to Jack Layton
that Foon Chang had wanted to give a copy of the certificate to him,
and that she had made a promise to her dying father-in-law that she
would continue to seek redress for him.  Jack expressed his thanks to
Foon Chang, and Foon Chang said that she felt deep gratitude in being
able to ask Layton for his support, and that he was willing and
committed to helping resolve a fair redress.

Layton told Foon
Chang that the NDP has been working for 20 years to seek redress in
parliament for head tax payers.  He also told her that his wife Olivia
Chow is a head tax redress advocate in Toronto, and said a few words of “thank you” in
both Mandarin and Cantonese.

Foon Chang told me that she is looking foward to the 1pm meeting on
Sunday, Dec 18th, organized by the BC Coalition for Head Tax Payers and
Descendants, to be held at Quan Lung Sai Tong Association at 164 East
Hastings St.

picture to follow soon!