12.6 Million by Liberals to buy Chinese Canadian Vote?

[Durgan]

News on CBC Radio 1800 hours, 17 Nov 2005: 12.5 million dollars to Chinese Community to right a wrong regarding the head tax, which was implemented to discourage Chinese immigration since about 1885 to about 1947.
The offer is a fine gesture. An apology would have sufficed from some reports.

It is astonishing how this offer is being made just before an election. The affected group has been lobbying for some action for years. They were left out of the negotiations.

It is possible a few seats might fall into the Liberal laps because of this gesture.Chinese tend to live in the same area. This could translate into some seats for the Liberals if the Chinese Canadians buy into the offer.


Population distribution 2001 data:
Edmonton41,285 (4%)
Toronto 409,530 (40%)
Calgary51,850 (5%)
Montreal52,110 (5%)
Vancouver 342,665 (33%)
Others 13,960 (13%)
Ottawa 28,800 (3%)

Durgan.

 

[Durgan]

The total head tax paids by Chinese was about 23 million dollars. In todays money that would be between 1 and 2 billion dollars.

http://raiyatua.notlong.com

Quote
...As soon as the CPR was completed, the Federal Government moved to restrict the immigration of Chinese to Canada. The first federal anti-Chinese bill was passed in 1885. It took the form of a Head tax of $50 imposed, with few exceptions, upon every person of Chinese origin entering the country. No other group was targeted in this way.

The Head Tax was increased to $100 in 1900 and to $500 in 1903. $500 was equivalent to two years wages of a Chinese labour at the time. Meanwhile, Chinese were denied Canadian citizenship. In all, the Federal Government collected $23 million from the Chinese through the Head Tax.

Despite the Head Tax, Chinese immigrants continued to come to Canada. In 1923, the Canadian Parliament passed the Chinese Immigration Act excluding all but a few Chinese immigrants from entering Canada. Between 1923 and 1947 when the Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed, less than 50 Chinese were allowed to come to Canada. Passed on July 1, 1923, Dominion Day, this law was perceived by the Chinese Canadian community as the ultimate form of humiliation. The Chinese Canadian community called this "Humiliation Day" and refused to celebrate Dominion Day for years to come... unquote

Durgan.