Chinese
Canadian National Council

Media
Advisory: December 9, 2005

Head Tax
Redress Issue Debated in Chinese Canadian Community

TORONTO/VANCOUVER. Community
debates on the Head Tax redress issue will take place this weekend in Vancouver
and Toronto. This
follows Prime Minister Paul Martin’s recent public comment that “the Chinese
Head Tax was a terrible thing and I never want to see it happen again” and
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper’s statement yesterday “for Parliament and
the Government of Canada to recognize this grave injustice, and to apologize
for it.” All three Opposition Parties and the Green Party support redress of
the Head Tax and Chinese Exclusion Act.

Vancouver:

What: Vancouver AM1320 radio phone-in
program.

Participants include Dr. Joseph
Wong, Bill Chu and Thekla Lit.

When: Saturday (December 10) from 10:00 am – 12:00 noonPST                                                                                                                                    

Where: AM1320 on Radio dial; callers should dial 604-280-1320

Toronto:

What: Public Forum co-organized by Toronto First Radio Station
and Toronto City Newspaper. 

Speakers include: Avvy Go
(Ontario Coalition of Head Tax Payers and Families).

Commentators include: Cheuk Kwan.

When: Sunday (December 11)
from 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm EST; Radio Broadcast is available online on Monday
(December 12) at 9:30 p.m. at www.torontofirstradio.com                                                                                                                        

Where: Food Court of Market Village, Markham (near Kennedy and
Steeles)

“We applaud Vancouver's
CHMB 1320 Radio, Toronto First Radio and Toronto City News for their effort,”
Sid Tan, CCNC National Director and Head Tax descendant said today. “The
Liberals need to know the damage caused by their poor handling of the Head Tax
redress issue. We are expecting CCNC founding President Dr. Joseph Wong to call
in from Australia
to participate on Saturday.”

“Martin’s Government has been
unable to explain the accuracy of their list of so-called supporting
organizations or quell growing anger over the secretly negotiated
Head Tax deal,” Avvy Go, representing the Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax
Payers and Families and human rights lawyer said today. “All Parties and
candidates need to know that Head Tax redress is a priority for the few
surviving Head Tax payers and families, for the Chinese Canadian community, for
Canadians and for Canada’s
human rights image.” 

“The Government needs to involve
the Head Tax payers and families and not exclude us,” George Lau, Co-Chair of
the Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families and Head Tax
descendant said today. “Many of us will be at the Sunday Forum in Toronto
to voice our concerns and educate voters.”

CCNC is a national organization
with 27 chapters across Canada.
CCNC is joined in the campaign for redress of the Head Tax and Chinese
Exclusion Act by the Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families,
BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers Spouses and Descendants, Chinese Canadian
Redress Alliance, the Association of Chinese Canadians for Equality and
Solidarity Society, and Metro Toronto Chinese and South East Asian Legal
Clinic.

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For more information, please
contact:

Avvy Go, Ontario
Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families, (416) 971-9674

George Lau (Chinese language
media), Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families, (416)
588-1751

Sid Tan, CCNC National Director
(604) 433-6169; (604) 783-1853

Victor Wong, CCNC Executive
Director, (416) 977-9871