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60 Years of Justice for Chinese Canadians: Reflecting on the 60th Anniversary of Repealing the Chinese Exclusion Act

May 13, 2007 Press Release

Today marks the 60th anniversary of the repeal of Canada's discriminatory Chinese Exclusion Act, when Chinese immigrants were finally granted the right to become Canadian citizens. The NDP is marking this as an historic moment in Canadian history.

"We recognize the important struggles the Chinese community has had to confront in becoming Canadian citizens," said NDP Citizenship and Immigration Critic Bill Siksay (Burnaby-Douglas). "Today we must say thank you to those early Chinese Canadian pioneers who helped build this nation despite the hardships they were forced to face, such as the Chinese Head Tax and the Chinese Exclusion Act."

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NDP Welcome Chinese Head Tax Apology as Important First Step

June 21, 2006 Press Release

OTTAWA - NDP Leader Jack Layton said today that the official apology finally presented in Parliament this afternoon was a first step toward righting the historic wrongs of the Chinese Head Tax and Exclusion Act. "This is important not just for the head tax survivors, but for all Canadians, who will now see that justice has been done," said Layton.

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NDP calls on Prime Minister to Meet His Promise for Redress for Chinese Head Tax Payers and Their Families

May 9, 2006 Press Release

OTTAWA - NDP MPs Olivia Chow (Trinity-Spadina, Libby Davies (Vancouver East), Paul Dewar (Ottawa Centre), Wayne Marston (Hamilton East Stoney Creek) and Bill Siksay (Burnaby Douglas) called on Prime Minister Stephen Harper today, to keep his promise to the Chinese Canadian community.

Early in his mandate, Prime Minister Harper had publicly promised an official apology and redress to the Chinese community for the Head Tax. However, during the Throne Speech and in subsequent comments by both the Prime Minister and his Parliamentary Secretary Jason Kenney, the Conservatives have ignored the issue of redress.

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Chinese Head Tax

May 9, 2006 Statements in the House of Parliament

Ms. Libby Davies (Vancouver East, NDP): - Mr. Speaker, between 1885 and 1923 the Canadian government collected $23 million through a head tax on Chinese immigrants to Canada. These racist and discriminatory policies of the past tore families apart and caused incredible financial hardship.

In 1984 Margaret Mitchell was the first MP who brought this issue before the House of Commons. In 2004 Parliament debated my motion asking for an apology and redress for head tax payers, their families and representatives. The NDP has championed this cause from day one.

I recently met with families and representatives in Vancouver who told me once again the importance of fighting this injustice by ensuring there is an official apology and redress for the remaining head tax payers, their spouses and descendants.

The government must do the right thing, and commit to an apology and redress for the thousands of Chinese Canadians who have been waiting so long for this injustice to be amended.

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Chinese Head Tax

November 22, 2005 Open Letters to Ministers & Public Officials

Hon. Paul Martin, House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

Prime Minister Martin,

We write to express our deep disappointment in the decision of your government to sign a back-door, $12.5 million agreement of redress for Chinese Canadians that effectively ignores the wishes of thousands of head tax payers and their families.

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NDP Calls on Government to Provide Fair Deal for Chinese Head Tax Payers

November 20, 2005 Press Release

OTTAWA - NDP Leader Jack Layton along with his caucus colleagues, House Leader Libby Davies (Vancouver East), Immigration Critic Bill Siksay (Burnaby-Douglas) and MP Peter Julian (Burnaby-New-Westminster), urged the Prime Minister to find a compromise and fair deal for all Chinese Canadian head tax payers and their families, today.

"These families deserve an apology and real respect from this government," said Layton. In a letter to the Prime Minister, the Federal NDP questioned the government's reasoning in allocating $12.5 million for a redress project to a single organization without including thousands of head tax payers, their families and their representatives.

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Chinese Head Tax

February 20, 2005 Speeches in Parliament

Ms. Libby Davies (Vancouver East, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to have this opportunity today to rise in the House to speak to the issue put forward in Bill C-333. I would like to thank the member for Durham for bringing it forward. I also would like to recognize that the member for Dauphin--Swan River--Marquette had originally put forward this bill in an earlier Parliament.

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