Vancouver Province
October 31, 2005, p. A9

Vancouvuer Province: Groups fight Ottawa's Plan on Chinese Head Tax

Groups fight Ottawa's plan on head tax
by Elaine O'Connor, Staff Reporter

Chinese-Canadian groups are meeting in Ottawa today to try and put the brakes on a government bill they say will do nothing to repair the damage done by the Chinese Head Tax and Exclusion Act (sic).

"There is anger in the community...and it's really coming out in full force now," said Victor Wong of the Chinese Canadian National Council. "The head-tax payers and families are saying, "No, we are not going to accept this."

"Ottawa's February budget included a $25-million, three year fund for programs to addresspast injustices against ethno-cultural groups."

The council, along with National Anti-Racism Council of Canada and the B. C. Coalition of Head-Tax-Payers, Spouses and descendants are protesting the redress plan.

Other groups, including the National Congress of Chinese Canadians, back the plan, which designates the congress as representative for all Chinese groups.

"Our group is not calling for individual compensation, but some kind of funding for community use, for educational purposes, and also maybe for recognition of the pioneer Chinese and the (war) veterans," Don Lee, national director of the congress, said. yesterday. Bill 333 (sic) comes out for debate in the Commons tomorrow.

Wong, whose grandfather was forced to pay a $500 head tax in 1912, said the council has been trying to get the government to "come to the table and negotiate a real redress agreement."

He discribed the idea of commemorative stamps, plaques, films and photo exhibits as "token" measures that should be funded by Heritage Canada so that the $25-million could be used for real redress.

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