Hon. Alice Wong, P.C.

Alice Wong makes the following statement regarding Remembrance Day in 2020:

The following is a transcription:

Today marks the 102nd anniversary of the end of the first World War. Efforts continue to unite and weather the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Let us take a moment to reflect on the sacrifices our armed forces members and their families have made, and perhaps reach out to a socially isolated veteran or senior in our life to express our appreciation. Veterans deserve our thanks, not just on Remembrance Day, but everyday, for everything they have given in service of our country. We also remember our brave men and women in uniform who are still serving our country, locally or in different parts of the world in these very challenging times. This year’s Remembrance Day ceremonies will look different due to the pandemic. Canadians are encouraged to pay their respects by participating indoors at Remembrance. Lest we forget.

The following is a video greeting from MP Alice Wong, celebrating National Seniors Day:

The following is a transcript:

Bonjour, hello. I’m Alice Wong, Member of Parliament for Richmond Centre. October 1st is National Seniors Day. It is a special day to recognize the contributions of our seniors who have worked through their whole life to build our great nation. Their wisdom and their wealth of knowledge continue to benefit the younger generations, even after their retirement.

For the first time in Canadian history, there are now more seniors than children in the country. The trend is expected to continue with the number of seniors in Canada to dramatically increase over the next decade and beyond. As a result, finding ways to help our seniors live healthy lives is becoming more relevant than ever before. Not only are we looking to add years to their lives, but also life to their years.

This is a very special year because it is also the moon festival for many Asian countries, according to the lunar calendar. It is time for families to get together and celebrate. Happy National Seniors Day. Happy Moon Festival! Thank you. Merci Beaucoup.

Happy Canada Day from Alice Wong.

The following is a transcript:

Dear friends, bonjour mes amis, I would like to take this opportunity to wish a happy Canada Day to you and your loved ones. As we take time to celebrate Canada’s 153rd birthday, we must follow proper social distancing and other healthcare practices to protect ourselves and our front-line workers who sacrifice their own family time to keep us safe and healthy. Instead of going to a park or other public space, consider joining an online concert or event put on by organizations in governments across Canada. Perhaps you may want to have a video or phone call with friends and family or to a socially isolated senior in our neighbourhood. Our community’s response to the ongoing pandemic provides a great example of the selflessness, humility and respect for each other that has come to define us all as Canadians and it is these virtues that will see us through these very challenging times. As I drive around Richmond, I am proud to see hundreds of Canada flags flying really high. I’m now looking forward to seeing you all out in our community at our great nation’s next birthday. From my family to yours, happy Canada Day.

On the COVID-19 Pandemic Committee meeting held June 16, 2020, Alice Wong made a statement regarding a local Richmond-based charity.

The following is a transcript:

Hon. Alice Wong (Richmond Centre, CPC):
Mr. Chair, it gives me great pleasure to thank a local Richmond-based charity, the Social Diversity for Children Foundation, SDC, for its hard work both in raising funds for the purchase of personal protective equipment and in distributing this PPE to long-term care facilities and individual seniors’ homes in the lower mainland of B.C.

The COVID-19 relief fund is supported by a dozen other non-profits, businesses and community groups. Over the past two months, SDC has been to 32 seniors homes and senior-related organizations. In total, it has delivered masks to 7,000 care workers, staff and seniors. It is amazing to have witnessed how the younger generation have gotten involved in caring for the elderly at this very challenging time.

Alice Wong, Opposition Shadow Minister for Seniors and Member of Parliament for Richmond Centre, has the following statement on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day:

“Elder abuse is an important human rights issue we all should bring awareness to, and ensure that older generations have a right to live a life of dignity. This means a life free from all forms of abuse, including physical, psychological and financial abuse, as well as material exploitation, which can lead to significant emotional and mental suffering.

This issue is particularly close to my heart, and in my role as former Minister of State for Seniors, I am incredibly proud of the parliamentary work my colleagues and I created to help deter elder abuse, including passage of the Protecting Canada’s Seniors Act, the financial abuse provisions of the Digital Privacy Act, and the passage of Motion M-203, calling to coordinate a national response to combating senior fraud activities.

My work on addressing elder abuse continues to this day. Canadians must all work together to create an environment that prevents the exploitation of our seniors.”

A fact sheet on the abuse of seniors is enclosed.

About World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

The World Health Organization and the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse launched World Elder Abuse Awareness Day in 2006 to draw attention to the abuse and neglect of older adults and to implement strategies to protect our most vulnerable seniors. The United Nations has also observed the date since 2012.

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For more information, contact:
Office of Hon.Alice Wong, Member of Parliament (Richmond Centre)
613-995-2021
alice.wong.a1@parl.gc.ca

Attachment: Facts on Elder Abuse

On June 9, 2020, MP Nelly Shin (Port Moody-Coquitlam) conducted a video conference with MP Alice Wong in commemoration of Seniors’ week. The following is the video:

May 12, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RICHMOND, BC – Alice Wong, Opposition Shadow Minister for Seniors and Member of Parliament for Richmond Centre, has the following statement in regards to the May 12, 2020 announcement by Prime Minister Trudeau on measures for seniors due to the COVID-19 pandemic:

“Seniors are the most affected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19. Overwhelmingly, the largest quantity of those that die of COVID-19 are elders. From my consultations with seniors, it is their physical health that is the highest concern. There is also a strong mental health concern of living in fear from a virus that kills seniors more than any other age demographic.

Since March, we have seen announcement after announcement by the Liberal government. This announcement on seniors, while appreciated, is late. While the one-time OAS/GIS payment increase is in-line with the one-time increases announced in March to parents and low-income Canadians, the lateness of this announcement merely reflects that seniors are an afterthought by the Liberal government.

The Liberal government was too late to close our borders to COVID-19. The Liberal government was too late to advise wearing masks in vulnerable environments. The Liberal government was too late to secure sufficient quantities of personal protective equipment (PPE). The Liberal government was too late to implement a mandatory quarantine for international arrivals. And now, the Liberals are too late to recognize the true needs of our seniors.

Seniors have been affected financially from COVID-19, just like the rest of Canada. But the primary challenge that COVID-19 has presented for seniors is health. Not having enough PPE supplies at care homes. Living in isolation from your loved ones. And finally, knowing that people of senior age are the most likely to die of COVID-19. This is the biggest concern of seniors – health. The Trudeau government has made matters worse with their decisions that have come too late.”

The following letter was sent to the Minister for Seniors, jointly signed by MP Alice Wong (Richmond Centre) and MP Martin Shields (Bow River):

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April 14, 2020

Minister Schulte,

I am writing to bring to your attention items in regards to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While acknowledging the seniors-specific actions your government has taken regarding RRIF withdrawals, changes to the New Horizons for Seniors program, and the funding provided to the United Way, I have been in physically-distant consultation with seniors across the country that are rightfully concerned about the lack of further action. Given the inherently interdisciplinary nature of the portfolio, I know these changes can take time, but I have every confidence that you and your team will work with your counterparts in Cabinet to get seniors the help they so desperately need.

Specifically, our seniors need the federal government to protect their physical and financial security during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic brings with it a host of challenges that your government must face, a challenge that you need not face alone. I draw upon my years of experience to relay what I am hearing from my constituents, caucus members, and seniors from coast to coast to coast that are facing significant uncertainties during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Physical Security:

Minister, I am sure I do not need to reiterate to you that by virtue of age, Canada’s seniors are the highest mortality risk during this pandemic, and as such are bearing the brunt of its force.

Physical distancing, while assisting to flatten the curve, brings with it a number of serious issues, particularly for our seniors. According to the March 2018 Advancing Inclusion and Quality of Life for Seniors report by the Standing Committee on Human Resources, nearly half of seniors experienced social isolation and the host of negative effects associated with it.  With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, that number has surely increased. I was pleased to see the government’s changes to the New Horizons for Seniors program to include initiatives that helped combat social isolation during this trying time. I urge you to continue to work with stakeholders and healthcare professionals to find proactive ways to help maintain both the physical and mental health of Canada’s seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The caregiver is an integral part of aging in Canada. In a nation with infrastructure limitations and a rapidly aging population, the role and demand of the caregiver has increased dramatically. Particularly, informal caregiver support is a pillar of effective healthcare across Canada with the majority of all care provided to Canadians being in the form of friends or family. I urge the government to take steps to ensure our seniors are continuing to receive the caregiver support they need while also ensuring the physical safety of both senior and caregiver alike.

Financial Security:

The risks posed to our seniors by COVID-19 are not just physical, but financial as well. The majority of seniors are on a fixed income, meaning they are particularly vulnerable to increases in the cost of living.  With increasing government taxation, such as the increase in the carbon tax, coupled with a large portion of the economy being shut down due to COVID-19, it is virtually certain that the cost of living will be rising.

One of the most frequent requests I have heard from seniors is for the government to allow a one-time tax exemption of up to a certain amount for any seniors that wish to withdraw additional amounts from their RRSPs and RRIFs. This would allow for those seniors that are able to draw on their own funds to see them through this pandemic and pump money back into their local economies. This, combined with the action already taken on the RRIF withdrawals would incentivize seniors to access their capital without significantly increasing what is going to be a record-setting deficit in this fiscal year.

Canadians are ageing and they now find themselves in the midst of a pandemic that discriminates against the elderly. Working to strengthen the physical and financial security of our seniors must be addressed. I urge you to work with your caucus colleagues to ensure that your government takes immediate and significant steps to protect the people that built our country and its institutions from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Regards,

Hon. Alice Wong, P.C.., M.P.
Richmond Centre
Opposition Shadow Minister for Seniors

Martin Shields, M.P.
Bow River
Opposition Deputy Shadow Minister for Seniors

RICHMOND, BC — MP Alice Wong sponsored electronic petition e-2451, on the topic of Birth Tourism.  The petition was created by Karen Leung, of Richmond, British Columbia.

Alice Wong stated, “I am happy to represent those in Richmond and across Canada that wish to voice their concerns to Parliament in the form of a petition.  The practice of birth tourism has received much attention over the past four years and this petition reflects concern the growing concerns of Canadians in urban centres as written by Ms. Leung.”

Alice Wong continued, “I have outlined my views in depth on Birth Tourism with my Open Letter on Birth Tourism.  I firmly believe that Birth Tourism is in the federal jurisdiction to solve, and that I am in favour of birthright citizenship, but only to those that are born of Canadians or those that are permanent residents.”

About Sponsoring Petitions

According to the House of Commons Procedure and Practice by Robert Marleau and Camille Montpetit, the MP, whose role it is to make the presentation on behalf of the petitioners, is not required to be in agreement with the content of any petition he or she may choose to present, and no such inference is to be drawn.

MP Alice Wong’s current policy is to present petitions produced by constituents from Richmond or a related opposition portfolio.

January 28, 2020

An open letter on birth tourism from MP Alice Wong

There have been multiple stories in the media in January 2020 on the topic of birth tourism. This lengthy letter is to offer perspective of this office and the very real impact it has on our community in Richmond, British Columbia.

Certain media perspectives talk about imprecise statistics or the need to perform lengthy studies on quantifying the exact amount of birth tourism. This is an argument presented as a stalling smokescreen for the underlying issue, which is examining whether being born on Canadian soil is solely justifiable grounds to grant Canadian citizenship. For those looking to obtain evidence on the existence and magnitude of birth tourism, I suggest, off the record, to talk with nurses and doctors of our hospitals that handle our maternity wards and deal with this issue on the front lines. The non-resident births reported are a reasonable proxy for birth tourism.

Given the relative costs of healthcare for non-residents, Canada is not known as a medical tourism destination except for the purposes of birth tourism, where birthing houses are openly advertised internationally for these purposes. Whether there are one or ten thousand birth tourists is not relevant. Instead, I argue that it should be a requirement that some amount of connection to Canada is required to grant citizenship beyond solely happening to be born on Canadian soil.

There are many ways to become Canadian per the Citizenship Act. I will list the three most common methods. You could be born to a Canadian parent (jus sanguinis, “right of blood”). You can immigrate (through various programs including refugee status) to Canada, become a permanent resident for 3 years, and apply for Canadian citizenship (naturalization). A third method is to be born on Canadian soil (jus soli, “right of soil”). The latter of the three is subject to exploitation.

I do not think many will argue that being born to a Canadian is an obvious connection to Canada. Indeed, the Citizenship Act was amended in 2009 to not allow the passing of Canadian citizenship to those that are two non-resident generations born abroad – the motive behind this is that the connection to Canada has been lost to the country they were born.

Another way is establishing a connection to Canada through immigration. The process to get into Canada as a permanent resident is a lengthy process, and hundreds of thousands of people submit their applications yearly, because Canadian citizenship is cherished world-wide. I entered Canada through this route, as have many of Richmond’s residents. Canadians have rights that citizens of many other countries do not.

While we have many rights, the obligations of Canadian citizens, especially non-resident Canadians, is relatively few. Thus, we should not treat the granting of Canadian citizenship lightly. Contrast this with our American counterparts, where if they are citizens, have an obligation and responsibility to remit income taxes on worldwide income, whether they are resident or not. Canadian non-residents do not have this financial obligation, a key difference.

As a result, we should not allow jus soli to be used as a loophole for citizenship. The babies that are born via birth tourism only have the most peripheral connection to Canada. Those that come to Canada on a tourist visa strictly for the purpose of giving birth to babies is a slap in the face to the millions of immigrants that decided to make Canada their home, follow the rules, and obtain Canadian citizenship.

There are three “red herring” arguments that have typically been presented as reasons to ignore the issue, and I will briefly go over them. One is fears of stateless babies – that there will be thousands of babies born without any nationality. The second is injustice arguments regarding refugee admissions and subsequent childbirth. Finally, others have argued that changing provincial jurisdiction policies will ‘solve’ the problem. All three are incorrect.

In regards to stateless babies, nearly all states have jus sanguinis policies concerning the conveying of citizenship to babies, the only question being whether they need to apply for it. A baby born to non-resident foreign nationals would inherit the citizenship of the foreign nationality. In other western democracies, both Australia and the United Kingdom have enacted laws removing jus soli as being sufficient to convey citizenship, and there have not been stories of stateless children born. Even if it was to be the case, per the UN Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness that Canada ratified in 1978, the Citizenship Act has a “catch-all” rule that permits Canadian citizenship to those that have always been stateless.

In regards to refugee claimants, duly admitted refugees are afforded the rights of permanent residents and their children born in Canada would be considered Canadian citizens (and if their originating country allows for dual citizenship, that of the originating country). No suggestion to remove this provision from the laws governing refugee claimants has been seriously suggested, and I can assure the critics that any attempt to remove these protections from refugees will be fought by myself and caucus colleagues.

In regards to addressing birth tourism through other government jurisdictions, the provincial government has the ability to regulate the usage of healthcare, and indeed, there have been confirmed stories of unpaid hospital bills of non-residents and also stories of resident pregnant mothers going into labour that have had to be turned away to other hospitals due to capacity constraints. A hospital emergency ward is not going to turn away mothers in labour, whether they have pre-paid for their deliveries or not. In other words, the issue of birth tourism is a federal jurisdiction issue to solve.

To be clear, I am in favour of birthright citizenship, but only to those that are born of Canadians or those that are permanent residents.

Birth tourism must stop – if non-resident mothers and fathers wish their babies to receive Canadian citizenship, there are plenty of avenues for them to obtain legal permanent residency, establish their Canadian roots, and they and their children will be welcomed with open arms like the millions of other immigrants such as myself that make our great nation.

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