Hon. Alice Wong, P.C.

On February 28, 2019 Alice Wong asked questions relating to Bill C-77, An Act to amend the National Defence Act.

The following is a transcript:

Hon. Alice Wong (Richmond Centre, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, I really echo all the things my colleague just mentioned.

I was a proud member of the Conservative government when we brought in the Victims Bill of Rights. The then attorney general was very clear that the purpose of the law was to protect victims, not criminals, and that justice needed to be done. That is why I supported the Victims Bill of Rights, because seniors were mentally, physically or financially abused.

I want to correct the parliamentary secretary. He said that the Liberal government created the ministry of seniors. For the record, it was a Conservative government that created the ministry, had the first minister of seniors and also the longest-serving minister of seniors.

I will go back to my question. I would like my hon. friend to tell the House how important it is that we value the contribution of the soldiers and veterans who have done so much, and yet they are still suffering because they were not well treated while serving in the forces.

Mrs. Cheryl Gallant:
Mr. Speaker, part of the treatment of our soldiers involves fairness before the courts.

Right now, certain punishments resulting from summary hearings can be penal in nature, however, there is no avenue to appeal to a higher or different authority. We put forth an amendment that would allow an appeal to a judge at the courts martial proceedings in the case of sentencing arising from a summary hearing that was penal in nature.

However, further to that, there is still a glaring hole in the legislation, in how fairness is applied across the ranks, for example, the right of a soldiers, seamen or airmen to defend themselves. As we saw in the case of Vice-Admiral Norman, there was no clarity on why the Chief of the Defence Staff denied him the funds to defend himself.

This legislation is still lacking, taking away the right of an individual, somebody who has served our military for so many years and with such honour, to be denied that, denying the individual the ability to defend him or herself based on the whim of the Chief of the Defence Staff who takes his orders from the Prime Minister.

On November 27, 2018, Alice Wong made a statement in the House of Commons on the topic of fraud against seniors:

The following is a transcript:

Hon. Alice Wong (Richmond Centre, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, because they are especially vulnerable, Canadian seniors are being targeted for scams and fraud more than ever.

We have all heard of the Canada Revenue Agency fraud threatening arrest over the phone, or immigration scams that threaten deportation, especially in my riding of Richmond Centre, where it is delivered in a non-official language. We also have financial scams, where seniors are being asked to sign away their pensions and life insurance benefits to people who are not working in the best interests of the senior.

Motion No. 203 regarding fraud against seniors will have the government recognize that it can do more to tackle fraud against seniors. I look forward to all-party support on this very important motion.

On October 1, 2018 Alice Wong made a statement in the House of Commons on the topic of National Seniors Day.

The following is a transcript:

Hon. Alice Wong (Richmond Centre, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I stand in this House today to celebrate our National Seniors Day. Far too often, our busy lives often cause us to forget about the elders in our lives, those senior citizens who have a lifetime of knowledge and wisdom to impart on the younger generations. These are the people who built the Canada we love.

That is why in 2006, the Conservative government appointed the first minister for seniors and in 2010 established the first National Seniors Day. I was privileged to have served as the minister for seniors for four and a half years.

I hope all members in this House as well as Canadians watching from home will take the time to visit or volunteer in a senior’s home in their community, and reach out to their parents and grandparents and share with them how grateful we all are for their dedication and efforts in both building our nation and raising its people.

I wish everyone a happy Seniors Day.

On September 24, 2018, Alice Wong made a statement in the House of Commons on the topic of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The following is a transcript:

Hon. Alice Wong (Richmond Centre, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my constituents in Richmond, I am excited to join Canadians of Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese descent in celebration of the mid-autumn festival, when families and friends will come together in harmony under the full moon for good food and fellowship. Originally a Chinese harvest tradition focused around moon worship, the moon festival now celebrates giving thanks, unity and prayer.

While I encourage all Canadians to join their neighbours in celebrating this special festival, I also offer my thoughts and prayers to those who have been affected by the two tornadoes that struck the national capital region this past weekend. The moon will shine again tonight.

[Member spoke in Cantonese]

[English]

I wish everyone a happy moon festival.

On June 14, 2018, Alice Wong asked a question during Question Period. The topic was on Carbon Pricing.

The following is a transcript:

Hon. Alice Wong (Richmond Centre, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, one of the largest challenges seniors are facing is being able to afford the basic necessities of life.

We all know that when the Liberals impose a new tax grab, it hikes the cost of living and seniors are disproportionately affected.

Why will the Liberals not finally reveal what their carbon tax will cost seniors?

Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos (Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to talk about the well-being and welfare of our seniors. Unfortunately, I am less happy to talk about the fact that Conservatives voted against every measure we put forward in favour of seniors.

We have brought the age of eligibility for old age security back to 65 years old, which is going to prevent 100,000 seniors from entering severe poverty. Unfortunately, the Harper Conservatives voted against that. We raised the guaranteed income supplement to help 900,000 seniors. Unfortunately, again our Conservative friends voted against that.

On June 13, 2018, Alice Wong spoke in the House of Commons on Second Reading of Bill S-218: An Act Respecting Latin American Heritage Month.

The following is a transcript:

Hon. Alice Wong (Richmond Centre, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, I am very excited to rise in this place to speak to the Senate bill, BillS-218, an act respecting Latin American heritage month. The Latin American community has always been a strong contributor to building Canada.

Before I get into the meat of the bill, I would like to take a few moments to talk about the bill’s sponsor in the other place, the late Senator Tobias Enverga. It is fitting that the bill would establish the first Latin American heritage month, as Senator Enverga was a man of firsts. He was the first Filipino Canadian elected to the Toronto District School Board and the first senator of Filipino descent appointed to the other place.

As we all know, Senator Enverga was a tireless advocate for the Asian Canadian community, having served as the co-chair of the Asian Heritage month celebration for the greater Toronto area, and was a director of the Canada Multicultural Council. The senator also founded the Philippine Canadian Charitable Foundation and was the former president of the Philippine Independence Day Council.

Just this week, I was honoured to attend the annual Filipino independence day flag-raising ceremony on the steps of Parliament Hill, with a number of my colleagues on all sides of the House and the other place.

Bill S-218 is evidence that Senator Enverga’s advocacy was not limited to our Asian Canadian populations, but rather stretched across the great Pacific Ocean into Latin America, which is the focus of the bill, to create a heritage month for Latin America.

For some people, making the difficult choice to pick up their lives and start over in a new world is never an easy one. In many cases, people leave behind friends, loved ones, and the familiarity of years gone by in search of opportunity and prosperity. These are the difficult choices that nearly all of our ancestors, if not ourselves, have made at one time or another. It is a journey that I, as well as many others in this place, have made. Vancouver is home to one of the largest communities of Latin Americans in Canada.

Latin America covers a huge stretch of land, from Mexico in North America, down through the central American nations, via Panama to Colombia, and down the Andes mountains to beautiful Tierra Del Fuego, in the southern reaches of Argentina and Chile, and reaches from the Pacific across South America to the warm beaches of Brazil. This is not an exhaustive list of the names of every country that is associated with Latin America, but I am trying to give people an idea of the massive geography from which Latin Americans come.

The most common attribute among Latin Americans is the language they speak. The predominant languages are Spanish and Portuguese, where Portuguese is the primary language spoken in Brazil, and Spanish is the primary language spoken elsewhere. I understand that many Portuguese speakers are able to speak Spanish and vice versa, just like many Canadians are able to speak English and French.

Latin Americans have made many cultural contributions to Canada. Indeed, 2018 is a World Cup year. It is well known around the world the passion that Latin Americans have toward their soccer teams. This passion has reached Canada, where soccer is quickly becoming a sport that is gathering a growing following. In fact, just this morning, I learned that a joint bid between Canada, the United States, and Mexico to host the FIFA World Cup was successful, and we will see the world’s best soccer players, or should I say football players, descend on Canada in 2026.

Given this good news, it is no wonder our NAFTA talks have been held up, as all three countries were too busy securing the World Cup. The best news, however, is that we are guaranteed to see our men’s national soccer team make its return to the largest stage in all of sport, and I have no doubt the players will make each and everyone of us proud.

Latin American cuisine is also very popular. In any Canadian city of size, we can always find restaurants that offer both traditional and a fusion of culinary tastes. There are many places in Ottawa within walking distance of the House and also in my beautiful home constituency of Richmond Centre, offering Latin American tastes. Not to offend our Albertan colleagues, but if people are hungry for meat, a great option is a Brazilian steakhouse.

In Bill S-218, it is mentioned that Latin Americans and the Latin American community in Canada have made significant contributions to the social, economic, and political fabric of the nation. This is indeed true. On an individual level, the contributions of Latin American Canadians to our nation have been immeasurable. They have distinguished themselves in all fields of work, whether it be in sport, music, sciences, or even in this very place. Having his origins in Argentina, I know the chief government whip will surely have much to say in support of Bill S-218.

Indeed, our former leader of the official opposition, the Hon. Rona Ambrose, grew up in Brazil, and speaks Portuguese and Spanish. Former minister of justice and public safety, the Hon. Vic Toews, was born in Paraguay. Not surprisingly, several Latin American Canadians have gone on to play in the NHL, including Raffi Torres and Bryce Salvador.

October also marks a number of special dates for Latin American nations. On October 10, Cuba celebrates Grito de Yara, the anniversary of the start of Cuba’s struggle for independence from Spain. I will restrain myself from commenting on the fascination with Cuba some members across the floor have. On October 12, many Latin American nations celebrate Día de la Raza, or pan American day.

I am more than happy to support Bill S-218, and, if the House of Commons so agrees, proclaim the month of October to be known as Latin American heritage month.

On May 29, 2018, Alice Wong made a statement in the House of Commons on the topic of Community Service (S.U.C.C.E.S.S.).

The following is a transcript:

Hon. Alice Wong (Richmond Centre, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, this Thursday I will have the great privilege of welcoming S.U.C.C.E.S.S. to Parliament Hill. Over time, this Vancouver-based organization has evolved from focusing on enriching new Chinese immigrants with the skills and tools they need to make Canada their home to a multi-city, multi-service, and multicultural agency. Its services range from the personal development of youth to the social engagement of seniors. It also provides excellent care in the several seniors homes it has built.

I invite all parliamentarians to come and check out S.U.C.C.E.S.S. on the Hill this Thursday at 11:45 a.m. in the Banking room to congratulate it for its 45 years of service to British Columbians.

Thank you S.U.C.C.E.S.S.

On May 14, 2018, Alice Wong asked multiple questions of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration during the Business of Supply of the Department of Citizenship and Immigration — Main Estimates, 2018-19.

The following is a transcript:

Hon. Alice Wong (Richmond Centre, CPC):
Mr. Chair, I will spend my complete 15 minutes asking questions.

Why is the minister being so unfair? He is sending his staff to process illegal border crossers instead of bringing the children of live-in caregivers to come to Canada, over 80 of his staff.

Live-in caregivers care for so many of our children, yet their own children have to wait to come to Canada, while the minister sends over 80 of his staff away to process work permits for illegal border crossers.

Why is he being so unfair?

Hon. Ahmed Hussen:
Mr. Chair, the fact is that we have reduced the backlog by 63% in the live-in caregiver program and we have significantly cut processing times for caregivers, from five to seven years under the Conservatives down to 12 months under this government.

Hon. Alice Wong:
Mr. Chair, why did the minister unfairly reallocate staff from processing family reunification cases to deal with the illegal border crossers? It is so sad that these grandmothers and grandfathers will not be able to come to care for their families.

Hon. Ahmed Hussen:
Mr. Chair, under the Conservatives, spousal sponsorships used to take 26 months or more, depending on the country of origin the spouse was coming from. We have made that a priority. We have put extra resources and staff to process spousal sponsorships. We have cut the processing time from 26 months down to 12 months. We have eliminated the backlog in the spousal sponsorship program.

Hon. Alice Wong:
Mr. Chair, why did the minister unfairly send staff to process illegal border crossers instead of helping process all the people who were trying to come to Canada as economic migrants, who want to start businesses in Canada? He sent over 80 staff to Montreal to process illegal border crossers while these business owners waited. Why?

Hon. Ahmed Hussen:
Mr. Chair, we have dramatically improved the processing times for all streams of immigration, whether it is spousal sponsorship or live-in caregiver programs. We have a really good track record when it comes to economic immigration. Our federal skilled worker program is working really well to attract the best and the brightest from around the world. We will see an increase by 33% in the provincial nominee program.

Hon. Alice Wong:
Mr. Chair, veterans who fought for Canada are homeless. Right now there are only 20 open spots in Toronto homeless shelters because that unfair minister is helping people illegally cross the border from the United States into Canada.

Why has he filled Toronto homeless shelters with illegal border crossers?

Hon. Ahmed Hussen:
Mr. Chair, the hon. member knows that asylum claimants are processed in a separate stream of immigration by the Immigration and Refugee Board. All the other streams of immigrants are processed by IRCC. The two are separate and do not affect each other.

Hon. Alice Wong:
Mr. Chair, the problem is that the minister sent 80 staffers to do the processing. It takes seven and a half years to come to Canada as a privately sponsored refugee from Djibouti. This is crazy. This is because the minister is sending his staff to process refugees from the United States of America. This is also crazy. We go to the United States to vacation. It is safe there.

Why is the minister making the world’s most vulnerable wait for seven years? Why is he being so unfair?

Hon. Ahmed Hussen:
Mr. Chair, the hon. member is actually speaking about the record of her party when it was in office. It was the Harper Conservatives who had really bad wait times for refugees. It was the Harper Conservatives who had really bad wait times on allocations for privately sponsored refugees. It was the Harper Conservatives who cut refugee health care. It was the Harper Conservatives who really did not put a priority on immigration processing.

I am really amazed at this newfound passion for refugee processing. This is quite the spectacle.

The Assistant Deputy Chair:
I want to remind hon. members that this is a team sport, but the team gets together in the lobby or quietly, not during the discussion.

Hon. Alice Wong:
Imagine, Mr. Chair, there are zero days for illegal border crossers, while so many Iranians have been waiting for many years to get their applications processed. Why is the minister being so unfair and sending his staff to personally process illegal border crossers while Iranians have to wait a very long time? Does he not know that Iran is not safe? Does he think that the United States is the same as Iran?

Hon. Ahmed Hussen:
Mr. Chair, it is the record that our government has with respect to refugee processing. Not only that, we have doubled the number of resettled refugees under our plan. We have more than quadrupled the number of privately sponsored refugees compared to the party opposite. Therefore, we have a good track record, not only in increasing the number of refugees that we resettle into Canada, but also in the processing time.

The fact is that the Harper Conservatives had unlimited intake but very limited output, which resulted in huge backlogs that we inherited. We are working very hard to eliminate that. We have already reduced the processing time of privately sponsored refugees by 25 months.

Hon. Alice Wong:
Mr. Chair, it is one million times faster for the illegal border crossers.

I have a constituent who is sponsoring her spouse to come to Canada. Guess what. She has to wait, and wait a long time. She is watching all the people illegally crossing the border from the United States, and she says that it is not fair.

Why is the minister sending staff to process illegal border crossers, while my constituent’s spouse has to wait? Why is he being so unfair?

Hon. Ahmed Hussen:
Mr. Chair, I wish the member opposite and her party brought the same passion to immigration processing when they were in power. Spouses waited longer under their watch. Spouses and children waited longer. Refugees waited longer. Live-in caregivers waited five to seven years under the Conservatives’ watch.

We have improved processing times for privately sponsored refugees by 25 months, spouses by 14 months, live-in caregivers from five to seven years under the Conservatives’ watch to 12 months under our watch.

Hon. Alice Wong:
Mr. Chair, the minister himself is only passionate about illegal border crossers. I have constituents from India who are trying to get their auntie to come to Canada for a visit. However, the unfair minister is sending his staff to process illegal border crossers instead of their aunt. Why is this minister so unfair?

Hon. Ahmed Hussen:
Mr. Chair, repeating something that is an underlying inaccuracy does not make it real.

The fact is that the processing of asylum claimants is done separately from all the other immigration streams. We are proud of the work that we have done to reduce the processing times that were left to us by the Harper Conservatives. We understand the importance of reuniting families, which is why we have brought down the processing times for spouses and live-in caregivers.

Hon. Alice Wong:
Mr. Chair, the fact is that the minister moved the other resources into just processing the illegal border crossers. There are so many people who want to come to Canada to start businesses, but the unfair minister is sending his staff to process people who are illegally crossing the border from the United States of America.

The United States of America is a place where people go to be safe. What is he thinking? Why is he making people who want to start businesses in Canada wait while he processes illegal border crossers? Why is he so unfair?

Hon. Ahmed Hussen:
Mr. Chair, I will repeat this for the nth time. Refugee claimants are processed separately from all the other streams of immigration. The fact is that one does not affect the other. I hope the hon. member understands that.

The fact is that we are the government that has reduced processing times. We are the government that continues to reunite families. We are the government that has eliminated backlogs left to us by the Harper Conservatives.

We understand that investment follows talent. We have redoubled the number of resettled refugees from overseas. We have quadrupled the number of privately sponsored refugees.

Hon. Alice Wong:
Mr. Chair, the illegal border crossers are using our regular resources. The 80 people all came from other resources. I do not understand. I do not understand why the minister is prioritizing illegal people coming into Canada from the United States. This is one of the most free countries in the world.

Now, talking about money, he is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to let illegal border crossers get work permits while people in my riding are unemployed.

He is doing a really bad job. Why is he being so unfair?

Hon. Ahmed Hussen:
Mr. Chair, if spending more money on border security operations and faster processing of refugee claims is doing a bad job, then I am guilty as charged.

The fact is that we are making the necessary investments, after the horrendous cuts made by the Harper Conservatives, in border security operations and in faster processing of refugee claims. We are reuniting more families than ever. We are providing refuge to those who are persecuted around the world. We are bringing talent to Canada.

We understand, unlike the Harper Conservatives, that investment follows talent, to grow our economy and create jobs for Canadians. That is why we are seeing a growth in the express entry system. That is why we are seeing a 33% growth in the provincial nominee program, which spreads the benefits of immigration all across the country.

Hon. Alice Wong:
Mr. Chair, he is spending more money, but doing much worse. That is a job done badly. There are so many Ukrainians being persecuted. It is so bad for them, they need to come to Canada, too.

Why is the unfair minister sending his staff and all other resources to process illegal border crossers from the safe United States instead of helping persecuted Ukrainians?

Hon. Ahmed Hussen:
Mr. Chair, the fact of the matter is that we have doubled the number of resettled refugees compared to the Harper Conservatives. We have quadrupled the number of privately sponsored refugees compared to the Conservatives’ numbers. We have reduced the processing time of privately sponsored refugees by 25 months. We are reuniting more families than ever under our spousal sponsorship program. We have doubled the number of spaces available for parents and grandparents because we value family reunification.

Hon. Alice Wong:
Mr. Chair, there are so many international students from China who want to come to Canada for their education, but the unfair minister is sending his staff to process illegal border crossers from the United States. This is crazy.

Toronto mayor John Tory says illegal border crossers are filling Toronto homeless shelters. Why is the unfair minister prioritizing illegal border crossers over students and the homeless?

Hon. Ahmed Hussen:
Mr. Chair, we have welcomed more international students than ever before. Every year, we see growth in the number of international students coming to Canada. We have opened more pathways for international students to become permanent residents and are giving international students more points under the express entry system because we value their talents, skills, and keenness to become future Canadian citizens. We are the first government in Canadian history that is not only telling international students to come to study in Canada, but also telling as many as possible to stay.

Hon. Alice Wong:
Mr. Chair, so many people who have legally come to Canada through the temporary foreign worker program are waiting such a long time to become permanent residents. Then they see the unfair minister sending staff to give work permits and benefits to illegal border crossers. This unfair minister is not being fair to the people who run our farms. Why is the unfair minister being so unfair?

The Assistant Deputy Chair:
I want to remind hon. members that this is between the hon. minister and the hon. member for Richmond Centre. There are a couple of people getting involved. The only people who are to give advice are the people in front of the minister. If members want to go outside to talk, that is fine.

The hon. minister.

Hon. Ahmed Hussen:
Mr. Chair, we are proud of the fact that we have an immigration system that welcomes the best and the brightest from around the world. That is why we prioritize client service and faster processing of applications. We have made it a priority to eliminate backlogs. We are proud of having the best record in terms of family reunification. We have doubled the number of resettled refugees and provided a home for the most vulnerable people in the world, including Yazidi women and girls and other survivors of Daesh, something that the party opposite could not do in 10 years in power.

Hon. Alice Wong:
Mr. Chair, the system should be planned and orderly. This unfair minister has broken the system. Is he proud of allowing illegal immigrants to cross the border easily and illegal immigrants to wait?

Hon. Ahmed Hussen:
Mr. Chair, the fact of the matter is that it is the long processing times and huge backlogs that frustrate potential immigrants, which is precisely what we inherited from the Harper Conservatives. The fact of the matter is that we have made faster processing of immigration cases our priority and have delivered with respect to the spousal program. I will give an example. The live-in caregiver program went from five to seven years to 12 months under our government.

On May 9, 2018, Alice Wong asked a question during Question Period. The topic was on Seniors.

Hon. Alice Wong (Richmond Centre, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, officials are expecting 200 illegal migrants to cross into Canada daily this summer, placing immense stress on our immigration system. Meanwhile, the Liberals are doing mainly nothing to support our seniors. Canadians are wondering why the Liberals are continuing to favour illegal border jumpers while ignoring the needs of seniors.

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, the stresses in our immigration system are largely holdovers from a Conservative government that did not invest in the kind of supports for our immigration system, that cut resources to the Canada Border Services Agency, and that continued to underinvest in the important processes that keep Canadians safe.

In regard to seniors, unlike the Stephen Harper Conservatives, we actually are decreasing the age of retirement from 67 to 65. We have increased the guaranteed income supplement by 10% for seniors, and we have made new investments in the new horizons for seniors program, which is going a long way to support them.

On May 8, 2018, Alice Wong asked a question during Question Period. The topic was on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

The following is a transcript:

Hon. Alice Wong (Richmond Centre, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, every day the wait gets longer for those fleeing war and genuine persecution, as the government uses its resources for those who jump the queue. The Liberals have reassigned 80 agents from processing legitimate immigration applications that have long wait times. These agents are now dealing with queue jumpers instead of real applicants. How is that fair and compassionate?

Hon. Ahmed Hussen (Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, only the Harper Conservatives would talk about border security after they cut almost $400 million from border security operations.

Only the Harper Conservatives would pretend to care about compassionate treatment of refugees after they cut refugee health care to the most vulnerable people, pregnant women, and victims of torture.

Only the Harper Conservatives would pretend to care about immigration processing and people stuck in backlogs after we inherited those backlogs from them and are working hard to clear them and improve processing times.

We have no lessons to take from the Conservatives on this issue.