Jenny Kwan, MLA, Vancouver-Mt. Pleasant

Access Transit Users' Advisory Committee Seeking Members

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Translink announces that its Access Transit Users’ Advisory Committee is now accepting applications for the 2011 calendar year.

Committee members promote accessibility awareness and work toward solving accessibility issues through creative, open-minded and inclusive thinking.

The Committee meets once every two months to discuss matters relating to the accessibility of our transportation system.

For more information, or to submit an application, please visit:

http://www.translink.ca/en/Rider-Info/Accessible-Transit/Access-Transit/Users-Advisory-Committee.aspx

Input sought on proposed changes to Family Law

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

The Ministry of the Attorney-General announced seeks input on proposed changes to Family Law. Members of the public, as well as stakeholders, have been invited to submit their comments by October 8, 2010.

To read more about the proposed changes, or to learn more about how to provide your input and feedback, please visit:

http://www.ag.gov.bc.ca/legislation/

Jenny speaks about the impact of HST on small business

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Small business owners join Official Opposition Caucus to highlight impacts of HST

Jenny Kwan Stands Up For Our Schools

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

On June 17, 2010, Jenny Kwan joined with educators and parents to speak out about the funding crunch and how it will impact students. Here’s a video talking about some of the reasons why fully funding public education is so important.

APPROVED DESTINATION STATUS WITH CHINA ‘ESSENTIAL’ FOR ECONOMY

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

BC OFFICIAL OPPOSITION MEDIA RELEASE

June 25, 2010

APPROVED DESTINATION STATUS WITH CHINA ‘ESSENTIAL’ FOR ECONOMY, SAYS NDP

VICTORIA – News that a formal agreement has now been signed granting Canada Approved Destination Status with China is welcome, but New Democrats are questioning whether the B.C. government is prepared to make the most of the opportunity.

“Tourism is an essential part of a sustainable B.C. economy. The Approved Destination Status agreement is an amazing opportunity to grow this critical sector of our economy and build relationships with one of the world’s fastest-growing economies,” said New Democrat Leader Carole James.

“New Democrats have taken the lead in having in-depth discussions with community business leaders to figure out the best ways for B.C. to seize the opportunity of our new status with China,” said James.

The New Democrat Official Opposition co-hosted the B.C.-China Tourism Conference in April of this year with the Association for Chinese Cultural Promotion of Canada. The one day conference was attended by 130 participants including tourism operators and local government officials from B.C. and China, immigration officials, and other business and community leaders who examined the opportunities and challenges of being granted Approved Destination Status.

“The conference built on a roundtable discussion we held with Chinese business leaders in January after it was first announced that we were going to be granted Approved Destination Status, and it was an outstanding success,” said Jenny Kwan, New Democrat economic development critic.

“We must foster those relationships to build towards a stronger tourism sector in B.C., and more importantly to strengthen cultural and economic exchange between Canada and China,” said Kwan.

Today, Kwan sent a summary of recommendations resulting from the B.C.-China Tourism Conference to Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney and Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism Alice Wong.

New Democrat tourism critic Spencer Chandra Herbert raised concerns about B.C.’s readiness to get the word out that we are open for business.

“The tourism budget has been cut by $6 million, forcing layoffs at organizations like Tourism Victoria and the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism region; the imposition of the HST is making it more difficult for tourism operators who are facing as many as 10,000 job losses and as much as $545 million in revenue loss because of the new tax.

“The B.C. Liberals have been heading in the wrong direction when it comes to tourism. We need to do the work now to ensure that we are a destination of choice for Chinese travelers and that we have the capacity to handle the increase in visitors to our province,” said Chandra Herbert.

Carole James and New Democrats are working with British Columbians from all walks of life, all corners of B.C., and all sectors of our economy to build a better British Columbia for the people of this province.

SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS JOIN WITH OPPOSITION TO CALL ON GOVERNMENT TO STOP THE HST

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

BC OFFICIAL OPPOSITION MEDIA RELEASE

June 23, 2010

SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS JOIN WITH NDP TO CALL ON B.C. LIBERALS TO STOP THE HST

VANCOUVER – Small business owners joined Carole James and the New Democrats today to highlight the negative impact of the HST and call on the B.C. Liberals to stop the HST.

"Small businesses are integral to B.C.’s economy. As the province recovers from the global recession, the B.C. Liberal government must take steps to support the small business sector. They can start by listening to small business owners and scrapping the HST,” said James, Leader of the B.C. New Democrats.

“British Columbian families and small businesses have rejected the HST. Now it’s time for the B.C. Liberals to do the same, and abandon the HST before it takes effect next week.”

James and New Democrat MLAs were joined by representatives from the Fraser Valley Grocers Association, Korean Businessmen’s Co-op Association of B.C., United Korean Businessmen’s Association of Canada, the Fraser Merchandise Association, and the Lower Mainland Independent Grocers Association.

“While Ontario is providing over $400 million in transition assistance to small businesses to prepare for the HST, in this province, the B.C. Liberals are cutting small business loose,” said Jenny Kwan, New Democrat small business critic and MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant.

“The HST could be a fatal blow to many small businesses already hurting from the economic downturn,” said Bruce Ralston, New Democrat finance critic and MLA for Surrey-Whalley. “This is the worst time to introduce a new tax that could damage consumer confidence and curb spending.”

A new analysis from Statistics Canada found that the HST will cost British Columbians between several hundred and over a thousand dollars per year, depending on their income. The average B.C. family will pay $521 more per year under the HST.

“We will have to charge HST on items such as chocolate bars, pop and peanuts. We aren’t in a position to raise our prices so we will take a hit on our bottom line,” said Harry Hur, president of the Korean Businessmen’s Co-op Association of B.C.

“Small businesses will also be losing the $200 monthly PST commission,” said Charles Chui of the Lower Mainland Independent Grocers Association.

“We’ll now be forced to charge HST up front on items that used to be PST exempt. We are a low cash flow business and we will feel the impacts of this immediately,” said John Bok, spokesperson for the United Korean Businessmen’s Association of Canada.

Carole James and the New Democrats will continue to hold the B.C. Liberals to account for their HST deception and the $1.9 billion tax shift on to consumers.

EDUCATORS STAND WITH OPPOSITION TO DENOUNCE EDUCATION NEGLECT

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

BC OFFICIAL OPPOSITION MEDIA RELEASE

June 17, 2010

EDUCATORS STAND WITH NEW DEMOCRATS TO DENOUNCE B.C. LIBERAL EDUCATION NEGLECT

B.C. Liberals’ broken promise to protect education will hurt future economic prosperity

VANCOUVER – With school districts around the province facing funding shortfalls, respected education experts stood with New Democrat MLAs Wednesday to denounce the impact of the B.C. Liberals’ broken promise to protect education.

The Vancouver School Board faces making drastic program cuts this week needed to eliminate a $17.2 million shortfall in funding from the provincial government.

“The B.C. Liberals promised to protect education, but just like all their other broken promises, they aren’t living up to their word,” said Jenny Kwan, New Democrat MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant.

“The program cuts that Vancouver School District will be forced to make are going to hurt students in Vancouver, and districts around the province are feeling the same pain. The B.C. Liberals are sacrificing our future prosperity with their neglect of education,” said Kwan.

“The B.C. government is trying to make an example of the Vancouver School Board to silence other districts,” said Chak Au, a Richmond school trustee. “The minister of education is attacking VSB for being incompetent in fiscal management, but with all 60 school districts facing a funding shortage, it cannot be the case that all 60 school boards in the province are lacking in the capacity to manage their money.”

“Vancouver has long been a leader in education,” said Mark Proctor, a retired principal with 41 years of experience. “Programs such as ESL, junior kindergarten, all-day kindergarten and afterschool daycare, were created outside of the school board’s core funding to provide not just equality of access but equality of outcomes. These programs are driven by parents, principals, teachers – those with close association with the children in the schools and saw the need.”

“The special advisor says she was instructed to exclude the funding formula for schools from her report. So there’s no comment on the adequacy of the funding formula. And for the last nine years the B.C. Liberal government has downloaded costs and underfunded our schools,” said former VSB trustee Noel Herron.
Former District Parent Advisory Council chair Schula Leonard added, “Public education is not a business. It is a core institution and value of any democratic society, and requires priority resources and continuity in funding.”
“Education has not been protected as a public good in the province. We need advocates in the system and the VSB and other school trustees in the province have been functioning as advocates for children at the behest of the voters who elected them. Let us not hear their voices silenced,” said former Dean of Education at Simon Fraser University Paul Shaker.

Peter Black, former principal of Queen Alexandra Elementary, echoed Shaker’s call for action, saying “We need the provincial government to fully fund education, to invest in children for tomorrow’s economy and for our society. Today, we are calling on the public to send this message to the provincial government.”

Carole James and New Democrats are committed to preparing the next generation for tomorrow’s knowledge economy with a quality public education system for all.

Petition to Reinstate Broadway Connections

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Click here for more information and to sign the petition.

Private Members Bill - Social Condition in to BC Human Rights Legislation

Wed, 05 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Statement about Trek to Ottawa in 1935

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

J. Kwan: The On to Ottawa Trek was a 1935 social movement of thousands of unemployed men. They were protesting the terrible conditions in federal relief camps during the height of the Great Depression. Their demands included work and wages, adequate first aid at camps, the extension of workers’ compensation and the right to vote.

After a two-month protest in Vancouver, Mayor Gerry McGeer read the Riot Act across the street from Victory Square. Not satisfied with the federal government’s actions, the protesters jumped atop boxcars and rode the rails across the country to Ottawa to make their demands in person. As they stopped through towns and cities, hundreds of others joined them in places like Kamloops, Golden and Calgary, but they were stopped when they arrived in Regina by the RCMP. They were only allowed to send a delegation of eight to Ottawa. In spite of that, a thousand people were waiting to join them on the trek in Winnipeg.

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When the delegation arrived in Ottawa to meet with the then Prime Minister R.B. Bennett, he called the protest leader, Arthur "Slim" Evans, a "radical extortionist.” In turn, Evans called him a liar, and the delegation was escorted out of the building. By the time they got back to Regina, a peaceful Dominion Day rally was brutally attacked by the police. Though the trek was over, a few months later R.B. Bennett was swept from office.

We know today that those brave protesters from B.C. were some of the early pioneers that brought social programs to the country. One of the organizers charged with treason was George Black, the father-in-law of the member for New Westminster.

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This year is the 75th anniversary of the On to Ottawa Trek, and the On to Ottawa Historical Society will be placing a plaque on the Main Street overpass in Vancouver–Mount Pleasant, where the trek began. This celebration will be held on August 6 at 1 p.m. at Crab Park.

As a symbolic trek, a delegation from the 2010 Homelessness Hunger Strike will be boarding the train to Ottawa to demand a national housing strategy, and they will be ending their year-and-a-half-long rolling strike on the steps of Parliament. I ask everyone to help celebrate this fabulous history.

Public Input Sought on Changes to the Water Act

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

The BC Government is considering changes to the Water Act, and seeks public input.

You can make a submission by commenting on the blog, sending in a submission by email to livingwatersmart@gov.bc.ca or by electronic form.

Submissions close April 30, 2010.

Further information can be found at:

http://livingwatersmart.ca/

Worksafe BC Seeks Input on Changes to Occupational Health and Safety Regulations

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Worksafe BC will be holding public hearings across the province on proposed amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation.

Oral submissions from the public can be made at these hearings.

Written submissions will also be accepted until Friday, June 4. Submissions can be sent to regquery@worksafebc.com, or by fax to 604-279-7599.

For more information, please visit:
http://worksafebc.com/regulation_and_policy/public_hearings/2010_public_hearing/law_40_20.asp

Statement about Asian Heritage Month

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

J. Kwan: May is recognized as Asian Heritage Month across Canada. On May 29, 2001, Sen. Vivienne Poy introduced a motion in the Senate to recognize Asian Heritage Month in order to acknowledge the long and rich history of Asian Canadians and their contributions to Canada.

Quoting from her speech, the senator said: "While various cities in Canada hold events to celebrate Asian heritage, British Columbia is the only province to have officially declared May as Asian Heritage Month. It first declared it in 1996 and has since proclaimed it on an annual basis.” Indeed, since 1996 the annual festival is called explorAsian.

The Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society has organized diverse events that showcase the rich Asian cultures in British Columbia. The definition of "Asian" is inclusive and broad. It includes East Asia, South Asia, Central Asia and Southeast Asia. The art, cultural and educational programming organized by the society provides audiences with an opportunity to further their knowledge, awareness and appreciation of cultural expression through workshops, lectures, displays and exhibitions.

From building the railroad where B.C. joined Confederation to the development of Chinatown and Japantown, the history of Asians in B.C. can be tracked back to the 19th century. Decades of discrimination legislation such as being denied the right to vote, to attend professional schools or even to eat at certain restaurants were only some of the barriers to inclusion that Asian communities faced.

Our province has come a long way, and now we have a large and prosperous Asian community that contributes to B.C. economically, socially and culturally. From the B.C. Legislature, I would like to congratulate and thank the organizers and volunteers for their fine work in the celebration of Asian Heritage Month and encourage everyone to attend this year’s explorAsian festivities.

NDP PRIVATE MEMBER’S BILL WOULD PROTECT HOMELESS, VULNERABLE

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

BC OFFICIAL OPPOSITION NEWS RELEASE

April 14, 2010

NDP PRIVATE MEMBER’S BILL WOULD PROTECT HOMELESS, VULNERABLE

VANCOUVER – A private member’s bill proposed by New Democrat MLA Jenny Kwan would amend the B.C. Human Rights Code to strengthen protections for the homeless.

Kwan’s bill, the Protection of the Homeless Act, would amend the B.C. Human Rights Code to include the term “social condition” as prohibited grounds for discrimination.

“All members of our society deserve to be protected from discrimination, but unfortunately many of the most vulnerable members of society find they face discrimination simply because they are poor or homeless,” said Kwan. “This amendment would help protect homeless and low-income individuals in our community from discrimination by ensuring that they are protected by the Human Rights Code.”

Kwan was joined by community activists and representatives of organisations that work with the vulnerable, including Reverend Ric Matthews from the First United Church, UBC Law Professor Margot Young, Seth Klein from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Lobat Sadrehashemi from the Pivot Legal Society, and Judy Graves from the City of Vancouver.

“This bill would bring British Columbia in line with other jurisdictions across the country,” said Kwan, who noted that Quebec, New Brunswick, and the Northwest Territories have included “social condition” in their human rights legislation.

In Kwan’s bill, the term “social condition” includes anyone in a socially identifiable group that suffers from social or economic disadvantage on the basis of income, occupation, poverty, lack of adequate housing, or any similar circumstance.

“Existing human rights protections are too often inadequate to deal with discriminatory treatment experienced by low-income individuals, individuals on income assistance, and homeless individuals. This legislative response is an important part of better protecting the interests of the vulnerable and the less advantaged in our society,” said Young.

“The United Nations called on Canada to implement these provisions in a 2008 report by UN Special Rapporteur to ensure marginalized groups are protected,” said Kwan. “We are calling on the B.C. Liberal government to support this legislation.”

Carole James and the New Democrats are committed to combating homelessness and protecting the vulnerable as part of a comprehensive and targeted poverty reduction strategy.

Statement about Maria Ho

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

J. Kwan: I rise today to pay tribute to a woman who was deeply committed to her family and equally committed to being a teacher, both by profession and in the community she served so energetically for over 40 years.

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Maria Ho, known as Mimi, fell ill suddenly on Wednesday, March 10. She was diagnosed with an inoperable brain condition at the hospital and died peacefully the next evening surrounded by her husband, three daughters, grandson, and other close family members and friends.

Mimi founded the Strathcona Chinese Dance Company at the community centre in 1973 and was artistic director for 37 years until her death. The company has performed countless times in locations across Canada and in many places around the world.

Mimi’s dedication to dance as a cultural expression did not end with her artistic leadership. She was also a very determined and successful fundraiser so that the costs of productions, costumes and travel were covered. In fact, I ran into Mimi just a few months ago at a fabric store, and — yes, you guessed it — she was looking for material for her dancers that she could produce for their productions.

Mimi was a recipient of many local, national and international awards of recognition, too many to list here, but they include a Civic Merit Award from the city of Vancouver in 1996, several cultural services awards from the government of Macau and a Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister of Canada in 1998.

Mimi’s efforts extended to other community organizations and causes as well. Among other things, she was a founding and life member of the SUCCESS Foundation and a life member of the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver. Over the years, she raised money for the cancer research fund — very fitting that we’re wearing daffodils today — Vancouver’s Children’s Hospital, flood relief in China in 1991 and 1995, and she raised over $10,000 for the Sichuan earthquake relief in 2008.

There will be a memorial service to honour Mimi April 3 at 2 p.m. at the Chinese Cultural Centre. I invite all who knew her to attend.