Mr. Speaker, I rise in the chamber for the first time, with deep humility and a profound sense of responsibility. It is an honour beyond words to represent the people of Richmond Centre—Marpole, a community I have called home for over three decades, a place that has given me opportunity, belonging and purpose.
First, I thank the residents of my riding for placing their trust in me. They have given me the privilege of being their voice in the Parliament of Canada, and I will carry that responsibility with integrity, determination and a strong commitment to their values.
To my campaign team, Alice Tang, Luhan Yao, Zenbia Chan, Thomas Leung, Kenny Chiu, Erica Ng, Terrence Lam, Bethia Yuen, Alice YF Wong, May Zhu and many others, I thank them for their tireless work, their belief in our cause and the sacrifices they made. They are the reason I am standing here today.
To my dear wife, Christine, I thank her for her unwavering support. We have walked this journey together, from uncertainty to service. To our son, Micah, a Richmond firefighter and army cadet officer, I thank him for his strength, values and service to the community.
Let me share a little about myself. I came to Canada in 1988 from Hong Kong as a first-generation immigrant, with no family here and little more than determination. Canada welcomed me and gave my wife and me a chance to build a life through hard work, resilience and community. To give back, I served in local government for over 25 years as a school trustee and then as a city councillor. That experience taught me that leadership starts at the grassroots by listening, solving problems and staying grounded in service.
Today, I enter federal office with the same mindset: to ensure Canada remains a land of opportunity, not just for people like me but for future generations and for new immigrants arriving with dreams like mine.
Let me tell members about Richmond, one of Canada's most dynamic cities and a true jewel of the west coast. It is the fastest-growing city in British Columbia and a vital gateway to the Indo-Pacific. It is home to the Vancouver International Airport, the second-busiest in Canada, as well as to a major deep-sea port and the largest commercial fishing harbour in the country.
Richmond is not just a local hub; it is a centre of global trade, innovation and investment. We are also the most culturally diverse city in Canada. Over 60% of its residents were born outside the country, and more than 120 languages are spoken. Richmond is a mosaic of the world, yet a community deeply united by shared values. It has 1.4 jobs for every working-age resident and the longest life expectancy in Canada. It has been named the most active city in B.C. Richmond is a Canadian success story, and we are proud of it.
However, I stand here today not only to speak about our success. I rise to sound the alarm on a national emergency that is devastating families across the country: the drug crisis.
I listened carefully to the Speech from the Throne. I was disappointed and, frankly, alarmed that this crisis was barely acknowledged. Just 18 words were offered on a tragedy that has claimed 50,000 lives in the past decade. Let me say that again: 50,000 Canadians dead from overdoses since 2015. This is more than all the Canadian soldiers who died in the Second World War, yet the government continues to downplay it.
The Prime Minister even said on the campaign trail that Canada is facing a “challenge”, not a crisis. He is dead wrong. This is not just a public health issue. It is a national emergency, and it is deepening. For the past decade, we have seen a steady expansion of failed policies, from supervised consumption sites to taxpayer-funded safe supply and, most recently, drug decriminalization in British Columbia. These were presented as compassionate solutions. In reality, they have led to more deaths, more chaos and more despair.
A 2025 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, offered by researchers from Memorial University, the University of Manitoba, and Johns Hopkins, found that opioid overdose hospitalizations increased significantly in areas where safe supply and decriminalization were introduced. The conclusion was clear: More drugs do not mean less harm. This is a dangerous myth, and our young people are paying the price.
In British Columbia, overdose is now the leading cause of death for youth aged 10 to 18 years. In April, a 15-year-old boy died in Campbell River. In February, a 14-year-old girl died alone at home in Surrey. In July 2024, a 13-year-old girl in Prince George lost her life to overdose.
These were not just tragic headlines. These are children. These are dreams lost, families shattered and futures stolen, yet the government clings to the policies that normalized addiction. Terms like “safe consumption” and “recreational use” are misleading. There is nothing safe or recreational about consuming poison.
We must shift the conversation from enabling addiction to promoting recovery. That means investing in prevention, education, mental health, treatment and enforcement. I ask again, when will the government put an end to its reckless drug policy and failed decriminalization experiments?
Let us look at Richmond. In 2023, Richmond recorded 27 overdose deaths, only 1% of the provincial total. That was not by accident. We have no cannabis retail stores. In February 2024, our community came together to oppose the installation of a supervised injection site, and we succeeded. Residents stood up for their families, and I stood with them.
We believe in real solutions, not slogans. We support recovery, not surrender. We focus on education, community services, law enforcement and mental health. That is the approach I will continue to champion in Parliament.
I came to Canada with a suitcase and a heart full of hope. I was given a chance, and I want to ensure that others have the same opportunity to build, not be broken by the very systems meant to protect them.
The crisis is not about ideologies. It is about saving lives. Let us stand together across party lines to act with urgency and seriousness. The future of our youth, our families and our communities depends on it.
I again thank my constituents in Richmond Centre—Marpole for their trust. I will work every day to be worthy of it.