Alice Wong, MP

During the last weekend, Alice Wong was consulting with various groups with the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Jason Kenney. The following are a few pictures from consultations with a couple community groups:

One of the full-week Parliamentary breaks this spring is scheduled for April 5-9, where Alice will be back in Richmond.

The following are words from the Minister of Veterans Affairs, Jean-Pierre Blackburn:

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The recent passing of John “Jack” Babcock, Canada’s last known First World War Veteran, marked the end of an era in Canadian military history. It is our hope that Canadians will take this opportunity to reflect, remember and honour all Canadians who served in the First World War.

On Tuesday March 2, I announced our government’s plans to mark the “end of an era,” which include a national commemorative ceremony being held at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on “Vimy Ridge Day” April 9, to pay tribute to the contributions and achievements of all Canadian First World War service men and women. International commemorative ceremonies will also take place at both the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, in France and at the Canada Memorial at Green Park, in London, England. In addition to this, some provinces and territories plan to conduct a commemorative ceremony in their respective capitals.

The public will have the opportunity to pay their respects by signing special Books of Reflection that will be on display at locations across Canada, including Parliament Hill, Rideau Hall, the Canadian War Museum as well as at each Provincial/Territorial Legislature. Books will also be available overseas at the Vimy Ridge National Historic Site, the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial National Historic Site, Canada House in London, England, and at the Canadian Forces Base in Kandahar. An online version of the Books of Reflection will also be available on the Veterans Affairs Canada Web site at www.vac-acc.gc.ca.

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John “Jack” Babcock

Born on July 23, 1900, John “Jack” Babcock grew up on a farm near Kingston, Ontario as part of a family of 13 children. When he was quite young, his father died in a tree-cutting accident. Despite this devastating loss, Mr. Babcock went on to bravely serve his country in the First World War before moving to the United States where he settled in Spokane, Washington.

He was 15 years old when he joined the 146th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Sydenham (near Kingston), Ontario. A few months later, he arrived in England. He was transferred to reserve battalions and ended up with the Boys Battalion (also known as the “Young Soldiers Battalion”) in 1917.

Mr. Babcock would later move to the United States, where he served in the American Army from 1921 to 1924. Mr. Babcock married Dorothy (Dot) after losing his first wife, Elsie, in the late 1970s.

Mr. Babcock read voraciously and, in recent years, completed his high school degree via correspondence courses. He had also taken local college courses. He could recite the alphabet backwards without hesitation and spell out his name in Morse code. He enjoyed travelling with his wife and taking daily walks to keep in good shape. He took up flying lessons and became a pilot when he was 65!

In April 2008, the Minister of Veterans Affairs awarded Mr. Babcock a Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation. Later that year, a small ceremony was held in May at Mr. Babcock’s home, where his Canadian Citizenship was reinstated. Another accolade came in September 2008 when the Royal Canadian Regiment Association honoured Mr. Babcock with the honorary title of regimental patriarch. This was the first time the title of regimental patriarch was given in Canada.

On March 26, 2010, Alice Wong made a statement in the House of Commons about the winners of the gold medal in wheelchair curling during the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic games and the Rick Hansen Institute for spinal injury research.

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The following is a transcript:

Mrs. Alice Wong (Richmond, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, today I would like to honour two extraordinary individuals from my riding, Mr. James Armstrong and Mr. Darryl Neighbour.

Both gentlemen are phenomenal wheelchair curlers and were an integral part of Canada’s wheelchair curling team that won the gold medal in the Paralympic Games in Vancouver last Saturday.

I congratulate Jim and Darryl on their incredible performance. They have made all Canadians proud.

On that note, I would also like to bring attention to the launch of the Rick Hansen Institute and applaud our government and the Government of B.C. for making a total pledge of $38.5 million toward the project which aims to raise $200 million for spinal injury research by 2012. Rick is Richmond’s own Man In Motion.

This is only one of the many measures that our government has introduced in year two of Canada’s economic action plan to help people with disabilities and their families participate more fully in our country’s social and economic life.

The Minister of Finance is holding a roundtable discussion with respect to pensions and retirement income. One of the meetings will be in Richmond, BC. Details will be posted on this site at a future date.

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Government Launches Coast to Coast Consultations on Canada’s Retirement Income System

The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, and Parliamentary Secretary Ted Menzies, along with the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of State for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, today announced the launch of online consultations and a series of cross-country roundtable discussions, speaking engagements and town hall meetings to gather input from Canadians on ensuring the ongoing strength of Canada’s retirement income system. The consultations will inform discussions at the next meeting of federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of Finance in May, where the retirement income system will be a key agenda item.

The public town hall meetings will be held in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Quebec City, and Richmond, British Columbia. Roundtable discussions with invited key stakeholders, experts and representatives from provincial and territorial governments will take place in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Winnipeg, Manitoba, and London, Ontario.

For further information, http://www.fin.gc.ca/n10/10-022-eng.asp

On March 18, 2010, Alice Wong made a Members’ Statement in the House of Commons concerning the Economic Action Plan.

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The following is a transcript of the video:

Mrs. Alice Wong (Richmond, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, our government is now implementing year two of Canada’s economic action plan. This plan has helped Canada cope with the effects of the global recession better than nearly every other industrialized country.

Our plan cut taxes for families. We extended EI benefits to help the unemployed and we expanded skills training for those moving into new jobs. In ever corner of this country, almost 60,000 infrastructure projects are putting Canadians to work and building hope in the largest cities and smallest towns.

Our plan is working. Since last July, almost 160,000 new jobs have been created, but our work is not yet complete. We will not be satisfied until all Canadians who have lost jobs are working again. Canadians can count on our government to continue to put jobs and the economy first. Jobs and economic growth remain our priority.

On March 18, 2010, Alice Wong delivered her response to the throne speech in the House of Commons. The following is a transcript of the speech:

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Mrs. Alice Wong (Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism, CPC):
Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure today to speak to the Speech from the Throne, delivered by Her Excellency the Governor General. I will be splitting my time with the member for St. Catharines.

The throne speech described t these times of both “great uncertainty and great optimism”. Where there are uncertainties, there are bound to be opportunities, which is also where optimism is often found.

The global financial crisis has no doubt dampened the spirits of our nation and left us in the dark for a while, but Canadians proved ourselves to be a people of strength and resilience, who remain true to our identity even in the midst of turbulence. Although the dark cloud of the global recession has not yet left us completely, Canadians know that we have weathered the storm very well and should be proud of our achievements thus far. Through it all, we have not forgotten some of the core values that make us Canadian. We continue to welcome newcomers on to Canadian soil and foster the growth of our next generation.

We are a country of immigrants. In the throne speech, the Governor General stated that, “To be Canadian is to show the world that people drawn from every nation can live in harmony”.

I believe Richmond is a great example of this. Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a peace and harmony forum, where children and young adults sang and recited scriptures from the Bible, chapters from the Koran, quotes from Confucius and other great thinkers and verses from famous poets. This is the mosiac we proudly present to the world.

I represent a riding of this great diversity. Richmond is a beautiful city, where people from a wide spectrum of ethnic backgrounds live and work. Our country’s diversity is one of our strengths. I cannot think of any other country in the world that is so accommodating and so generous to those who want to call this great nation of ours home. Thousands of people each year come to Canada to make a better life for themselves and their families.

The government certainly recognizes the importance of new immigrants to Canada. We are committed to a system that will provide the best opportunities for newcomers to succeed, while protecting the interest of all Canadian citizens. The pan-Canadian framework for the assessment and recognition of foreign credentials is part of the government’s strategy to bring the best workforce in the world to the Canadian job market.

Since 2009, the government has committed over $50 million over two years through the Canada economic action plan to develop this framework. Going forward, the government will continue to work with the provinces and territories to strengthen recognition of foreign credentials through the framework to help internationally trained workers and professionals put their training and knowledge to work in Canada as soon as possible.

On the flip side, the government also recognizes the severity of unscrupulous immigration consultants and their negative impact on our immigration system. In March 2009, the hon. Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism announced a public information campaign to combat immigration fraud and to warn the public against unscrupulous consultants.

Following a year of hard work, the hon. minister announced in February of this year that the government would launch a package to reform the regulation of immigration consultants, which will include severe penalties for those who commit fraud. Clearly, the government is on the right track in protecting the integrity of our immigration system and the welfare of all Canadians.

Canada’s economic action plan is working. Job protection and creation are Canada’s top priorities. That is why we have continued to weather the economic storm with Canada’s economic action plan. This plan is working in Richmond. Tax dollars are being prudently invested in projects that will benefit the public, such as making people’s commutes on Highway 99 quicker with the bus lane expansion, or ensuring people’s water and sewage systems are maintained to the excellent standards in one of the cleanest urban watersheds in the country.

The people of Richmond and the neighbourhood will also continue to enjoy a better life resulting from other projects, such as improved community centres and swimming pools, the green pathway on the dike and the library of the Kwantlen Polytechnic University to name just a few. Besides the public sectors, industries and businesses are starting to hire. Jobs have been created and the numbers will keep growing.

I cannot refrain from talking about the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and Paralympic Games. Richmond was an Olympic host city and is the location of the Olympic Oval, a world-class long track speed skating venue. We have welcomed the world and boasted with the Canada Line. Our airport, the YVR, also world class, is the most accessible.

Canada was witness to athletic excellence and Canadian athletes inspired us all with their determination and skill. The Canadian Paralympic curling team is skipped by Jim Armstrong, who is currently joined by another Richmond resident, Darryl Neighbour, on the team. Also, Richmond is the home of Rick Hansen and Alexa Loo.

However, we cannot rest on our accomplishments. We must continue to build our skills for future competitions. I am not only referring to athletic competitions, but the competition of other hands and minds.

Now I would like to comment on job creation and fostering the next generation of working Canadians. In the throne speech, Her Excellency aptly pointed out that, “The success of Canada’s economy depends on a skilled and educated workforce”. In order to be a world-class economy, we must be educated and trained. Being competitive in today’s economy means having the skills and training to adapt to a dynamic global market.

The government believes in fostering an environment for our people to excel at home, and it is evident that we walk the talk. The government has never ceased to invest in the growth of our people through providing grants, tax credits, apprenticeships and support for training programs so Canadians can obtain the skills and training they need to achieve their goals and dreams. Under Canada’s economic action plan, this government allotted $1.9 billion to enhance the availability of training, an investment made toward short and long-term skill training or upgrading for workers of all fields and expertise.

The government also recognizes the need to give young people a hand to help them smooth out the transition from the campus to the workplace. Especially in our recovering economy, this transition might not be easy for many young Canadians. According to Statistics Canada, the youth unemployment was 15.1%, the highest of any age group.

Young people have a tough time finding jobs to get themselves through school or sustain their livelihood after they are done with school because of the global recession. This government has set in place several programs to bridge the way for young Canadians to enter the job market.

To give an example, the existing career focus program provides wage subsidies of up to $15,000 to businesses and non-profit organizations to hire high school graduates. Another example is the $20 million two year targeted funding delivered through the Canada summer jobs program, an incentive for employers to hire summer students.

The games have amazingly united Canadians and fostered our national pride. What lies ahead is to continue to make Canada the best place in the world we all call home.

Over the past year, we have been working very hard in bringing federal infrastructure dollars into Richmond. Your tax dollars are being prudently invested in projects that will benefit the public, whether your commute on Highway 99 is quicker due to the transit lane expansion, or whether your water and sewage services are maintained to the excellent standards we all currently enjoy whenever we turn on our taps or flush our toilets.

Through the Recreational Infrastructure Canada fund, we have worked to bring in about $4 million in federal funding that helped to build projects such as the middle arm of the dike just north of the Olympic Oval; construction dollars for renovations to places such as the Steveston Community Center; South Arm Community Center; the Minoru Aquatic Center; and the Minoru Lawn Bowling Club. Finally, the Hamilton Community Centre (located in east Richmond) received funding toward its expansion.

Additionally, the Knowledge Infrastructure Fund has provided funding Kwantlen Polytechnic Unviersity’s Richmond campus planned library expansion.

We continue to work hard for the people of Richmond and respect taxpayers’ dollars. Ultimately these investments go toward projects that will benefit all of Richmond.

Links:
Building Canada – BC
Recreational Infrastructure Canada Grants
Knowledge Infrastructure Grants

The following was a statement made by Alice Wong on March 5, 2010 in the House of Commons:

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Mrs. Alice Wong (Richmond, CPC):

Mr. Speaker, as the member for Richmond, I would like to thank all the Olympic volunteers who guided us through the games. Whether at the Richmond Oval, the Canada Line stations or in the O Zone, their role contributed enormously to the success of these Olympic winter games.

The torch relay alone drew over 35,000 people at Steveston. Another 25,000 welcomed Rick Hansen, a proud Richmondite, as he carried the torch through Minoru Park. During the games, Richmond was packed with athletes, visitors and local residents.

I would also like to congratulate all the Canadian athletes who made it to the podium, as well as all the other Olympians who participated in true Canadian spirit, including Alexa Loo, a Richmond constituent who represented Canada in the snowboard cross event.

As the Paralympics begin next week, I want to extend my best wishes to all who will participate in these games and wish team Canada every success. Go Canada go.