Han Dong

[Petitions, May 17th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, it is my honour again to present a petition on behalf of 13,822 Canadians who signed in support of Won Alexander Cumyow becoming the face of the new five-dollar bill. In light of all the attacks, we think the history of Won Alexander Cumyow will give us a better understanding of Chinese Canadians' contributions and show appreciation of the sacrifices made by the community. Together, we call on the Minister of Finance to decide to put Won Alexander Cumyow as the new face of the five-dollar bill.

[Petitions, May 11th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to present a petition on behalf of 708 residents of Canada to call upon the Minister of Finance to select Won Alexander Cumyow to be featured as the face on the new redesigned $5 bill. In 1861, Won Alexander Cumyow was born: the first Canadian-born person of Chinese descent.

We believe that in the face of anti-Asian racism, this initiative would give a better understanding and appreciation of Asian-Canadians' contributions and sacrifices made in Canadian history. I am proud to endorse this petition, and I will sign my name to it.

[Asian Heritage Month, May 4th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada, a time for all Canadians to come together to recognize the immense contribution of Asian Canadians and celebrate their rich and diverse culture and history.

However, even as we celebrate Asian Heritage Month, anti-Asian racism has been on the rise in Canada during the pandemic. We know that one of the root causes of anti-Asian racism in Canada is a lack of understanding of and appreciation for the contributions and sacrifices made by Asian Canadians throughout Canada's history.

Recently, I have been championing a petition signed by over 10,000 Canadians across the country who want to see Won Alexander Cumyow as the face of the redesigned five-dollar bill. They know that it would ignite an important conversation among all Canadians about the history and contributions that visible minorities have made in shaping our multicultural society today. We believe that, should Mr. Won be selected, it will be a significant way to combat anti-Asian racism.

[Petitions, April 6th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to present a petition regarding the upcoming redesign of the five-dollar bill.

The petitioners are calling for the Minister of Finance to select Mr. Won Alexander Cumyow as the face of the new five-dollar bill. While Mr. Won Alexander Cumyow may not be a household name for many Canadians, his story represents the struggle, opportunity and hope that have shaped Canada's identity.

In 1861, Mr. Won was the first Chinese Canadian to be born in present-day Canada, and he faced a lot of discrimination. He was trained as a lawyer but was never able to write the bar exam because he was not on the voters list. Despite all of this adversity, Mr. Won, in the end, led the fight against the head tax and the Chinese exclusion act, and in 1949, at the age of 88, he voted for the first time in the federal election.

This is a good opportunity for us to showcase the rich history of Canada's immigrant heritage. I am proud to sponsor this petition and will sign it.

[International Trade, March 24th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, last year, Canada saw record levels of international trade. Our government continues to open new opportunities for Canadian businesses to export and to expand. The United Kingdom is one of our closest friends and largest trading partners. I know the minister for international trade has been working hard on strengthening our trade ties with the U.K.

Can the minister update us on her recent activities in diversifying our trade relations with the United Kingdom?

[Business of Supply, March 21st, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, the member's debate was very interesting and she did not get a chance to finish, so I would like to give her my one minute to let her conclude her remarks.

[Arab Heritage Month Act, March 3rd, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for bringing forward this bill. It is a very meaningful bill.

When he talked about listening to each other and learning from each other, it brings back the memory of the late member for Scarborough—Agincourt. For those new members who have not seen this video, I strongly encourage them to take a look at the video of Arnold Chan's speech. It was very inspirational and I think it speaks to the spirit of today's bill.

[Emergencies Act, February 21st, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I am not an expert, as my hon. colleague is, in FINTRAC and crowd-based funding. What I know is that through cryptocurrency and online platforms, there are millions of dollars from foreign destinations flowing into Canada to support illegal blockades, which is not right. We have very limited information about that. This is not good for our democracy and I am glad—

[Emergencies Act, February 21st, 2022]

Madam Speaker, for a couple of days now in this House we have been listening to debate based on different views of this act. Today, there is something new: the confidence vote. As a member of this House, I truly believe our decision should not be based on whether it is a confidence vote or not. If someone wants to support this bill, they support this bill. If someone does not want to support this bill, they do not support this bill.

I think what is important to talk about tonight is whether someone thinks it is going to restore order and peace for Canadians and for residents of Ottawa.

[Emergencies Act, February 21st, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I can only speak for myself. I said very clearly in my statement. It does not matter if it is a confidence vote or not a confidence vote. I am supporting this motion for what it is and what it does for the people of Ottawa and for the people of Canada. I think it is the right thing for the government to step in and invoke the Emergencies Act. It ensures accountability and allows us to get through this.

That is my reason for supporting it. It is not because it is a vote of confidence. To me, it would not make a difference.