Alice Wong, MP

The following is a video of Alice Wong’s Christmas Holiday Season remarks:

The player will show in this paragraph

The following is a transcript:

Hello, I’m Alice Wong, Member of Parliament for Richmond and Minister of State for Seniors. On behalf of myself and my husband Enoch, I wish you all a pleasant and joyful holiday season. Whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, or any other religious event, may your festivities be an occasion for great happiness for you and your family. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The following statement was issued to local media:

As I indicated at the event in Richmond on October 11, 2012, our Government condemns the reprehensible practise of shark “finning”, which has been banned in Canada since 1994.

On the other hand, I am of the view that shark which comes from a legal, humane and sustainable fishery is no different from any other food that Canadians may or may not choose to consume.

As noted, I do engage with the Chinese-Canadian media on a regular basis in both Mandarin and Cantonese. However, it is unfortunate that the Richmond News and the Richmond Review were not notified of this local event.

You are invited to the Alice Wong Community BBQ, Saturday, August 25, 2012 from 12:00pm to 3:00pm at West Richmond Community Centre (Hugh Boyd Park). It is close to the No. 1 Road and Francis Road intersection.

Free admission, food and live music, children’s entertainment and fun for the whole family.

Above is a map of the location (Google Map Link here). Please note that the southeastern parking lot (via Pendleton Road) is most likely to be available. The spot nearest to the West Richmond Community Centre is most likely to be full.

The site at which Canadians can contribute their ideas will be open until August 3, 2012. Individuals and groups are invited to access the secure online questionnaire, to which responses can be made only once per individual or group, at: http://www.parl.gc.ca/PBC2012.

Like last year, pre-budget consultation submissions will be put on the Committee’s website after they have been translated. Following translation, the submissions will be circulated to all members of the House Finance Committee, who will then identify those whom they would like to invite to make an oral presentation. Hearings are expected to begin in September 2012.

Every year the Ministry of Finance publishes a report titled “Where your tax dollar goes”.

It is designed to give Canadians a general breakdown of where their federal tax dollars are spent, as well as how they are collected.

The most recent edition, the 2010-2011 publication, can be found by clicking here.

The following graphic is a very brief summary with a pie-chart of where your tax dollar goes.

Alice Wong was at the ceremony that commenced the Ottawa Protocol on Anti-Semitism.

Among its commitments, the Protocol calls for:
- Leaders of faith groups to combat all forms of hatred and discrimination, including anti-Semitism,
- Governments to establish an international task force to identify and monitor hate on the Internet, and it calls on governments to record all hate crimes, including anti-Semitism.
- Expresses a concern over anti-Semitism on campuses, and encourages local solutions to monitor and share best practices.

Such initiatives demonstrate Canada’s continued commitment to leading a coordinated global effort to fight anti-Semitism and all
forms of racism. Our zero tolerance of anti-Semitism and our actions to combat it are part of a larger effort to address racism and discrimination affecting other communities.

The following speech was given by Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney:

At the signing of the Ottawa Protocol
Ottawa, Ontario, September 19, 2011

Good evening,

I’m here tonight with my colleague, the Honourable John Baird, to mark a very important milestone in the fight against anti-Semitism.

While Canada is generally a tolerant and peaceful country, we cannot overlook the rise of this most pernicious form of racism.

Vandalism and graffiti have defaced synagogues and Jewish community centres. And even our university campuses experience anti-Semitic bullying.

Although Jews make up only about one percent of Canada’s population, they are the main target of hate crimes, with almost two-thirds of hate crimes targeting this religious group.

Any failure to acknowledge and address a rise in anti-Semitic actions – should we be so complacent – would be the same as condoning these hateful crimes.

When we see racism, intolerance and prejudice, we must take a stand. And I’m proud that Canada has become a world leader in combating anti-Semitism.

Canada had the largest delegation at the first meeting of the Inter-parliamentary Coalition for Combating Antisemitism Conference in London in 2009. And last fall we hosted the second Conference in Ottawa.

By unanimous consent, parliamentarians there received the Ottawa Protocol. By signing it today, we demonstrate the Government of Canada’s support for it and commitment to its goals.

Among its commitments, the Protocol calls for leaders of faith groups to combat all forms of hatred and discrimination, including anti-Semitism.

It calls on governments to establish an international task force to identify and monitor hate on the Internet. And it calls on governments to record all hate crimes, including anti-Semitism. It also expresses a concern over anti-Semitism on campuses, and encourages local solutions to monitor and share best practices.

The Protocol also calls on governments to reaffirm and implement the United Nations’ Genocide Convention of 1948. The Holocaust was a crime against humanity unlike any other in human history, and fundamentally altered how the world views and treats acts of genocide.

As the Genocide Convention states, “in order to liberate mankind from such an odious scourge, international co-operation is required.”

The Ottawa Protocol represents an important step in our overall strategy to help lead the global fight against anti-Semitism. This includes our membership in the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research.

To teach future generations of Canadians the lessons of the Holocaust and the effects of xenophobia, we have partnered with B’nai Brith Canada to invest in the National Task Force on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research.

The task force brings together scholars, legal experts, educators, Holocaust survivors, and community representatives to further Holocaust research and education in Canada.

Learning about the errors of our past ensures they aren’t repeated. But we must remain vigilant.

In Nazi Germany the Jews were stripped of citizenship, denied their natural rights, and their very right to exist was called into question. In contemporary times, there are those who are trying to strip the State of Israel of its citizenship in the international community, circumscribe its right to exist and attack its natural rights as a member state in international society.

Ladies and gentlemen, there is a worrying new acceptance of the vilification of Israel and of Jews around the world. While criticism of Israel cannot in and of itself be regarded as anti-Semitic, if that criticism selectively condemns and denies the only Jewish state’s right to exist, it can create a hateful environment.

This coming Thursday, Canada will once again take a stand on the global stage against anti-Semitism, when we will refuse to participate in the 10th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action, sometimes called Durban 3.

I’m proud to say that Canada was the first country in the world to withdraw from the United Nations’ Durban Review Conference, or Durban 2. We refused to participate in what was clearly a tainted process that would not combat the very real problems of racism.

This was based on our concern about what happened at the first Durban conference, which included examples of anti-Semitism, including the circulation of copies of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion and explicitly anti-Semitic symbolism.

Our stand was vindicated when Durban 2 was used by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a platform to disseminate hate and intolerance, and when the governments of Israel, the United States and several European Union members also boycotted the conference.

Canada is committed to the fight against racism. We cannot support an agenda that actually seeks to promote racism and anti-Semitism rather than combat it.

Ladies and gentlemen, Canada has a proud history of promoting human rights and combating hate and discrimination. Today, we continue this tradition by signing the Ottawa Protocol.

In doing so, we affirm our commitment to fight anti-Semitism, both in Canada and around the world. And we affirm our position as a leader in the global fight against anti-Semitism.

Thank you.

Alice Wong will be hosting a BBQ on August 27, 2011 at West Richmond Community Center (in Hugh Boyd Park, roughly at No. 1 and Francis) from 12:00 to 3:00pm.

Weather Canada predicts the weather will be Sunny, with Highs of 22.

A parking map is here (click the pictures for more detail):

May 28, 2011 ― The Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors), participated at the opening ceremonies of the Richmond Focus on Seniors Expo. Two pictures attached:

On May 18, 2011, Alice Wong was sworn into the privy council and appointed into cabinet as the Minister of State (Seniors). The following is a picture taken at Rideau Hall, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Governor General David Johnston in the background.

A Proclamation has been received from His Excellency the Governor General which summons Parliament to meet for the dispatch of business at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 2, 2011. The order of business in the House of Commons will be the election of the Speaker. The Speech from the Throne is expected to be delivered by the Governor General on Friday, June 3, 2011.

For information on the Speakership and the Opening of Parliament, please consult the “Speaker and Other Presiding Officers” and “Parliamentary Cycle” sections of the Compendium of House of Commons Procedure.

The general election was held on Monday, May 2, 2011. Election results remain unofficial until the Chief Electoral Officer has confirmed the name of the Member of Parliament elected for each riding by transmitting certificates of election to the Clerk of the House of Commons. The last scheduled day for the return of the writs being Monday, May 23, 2011, the official list of elected Members is expected to be available beginning on Tuesday, May 24, 2011. In the meantime, the unofficial list of Members of Parliament is available from the Library of Parliament. A list of election candidates and unofficial election results is also provided for your convenience.

Alice Wong can be reached at the following phone numbers:

Richmond Office:
Phone: 604-775-5790 / 1-877-775-5790 (toll-free)
Fax: 604-775-6291
E-Mail: WongA1@parl.gc.ca

Ottawa Office:
Phone: 613-995-2021
Fax: 613-995-2174
E-Mail: Wong.A@parl.gc.ca