Welcome to diversityvotes.ca's news blast on this hot subject of the day. diversityvotes.ca is devoted to pairing diverse demographics and multicultural media. Focus now: Canada 2019 Federal Elections - Diversity Empowers Democracy See New Canadian Media's latest contribution to the conversation: Multicultural Media Sound Alarm Over Fake News Follow us on the 2019 campaign trail and join our conversation on diversity in the lead up to the elections. Check out our latest Story of the Day to find out why Canadian-Filipinos are uninterested in Canadian politics: Beyond Political Rhetoric - Filipino Our in-depth reviews highlight priority election topics covered in the ethnic media such as immigration: Scheer, the Conservative Party and the Immigration Elephant in the Room Keep up with diverse community opinion with our:
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Spanish: Important commentary on current eventsToronto's daily radio source, CHIN 91.9 FM, reports: Ontario's new sex-ed curriculum has been revealed. Radio host Silvia Mendez said it's important because everyone wants their children to grow up right. After a huge amount of criticism and a review which cost everyone a lot of money, it's basically the same curriculum as that of the Liberals. Mendez said It's 300 pages long, and "they touched it up a bit," but it's essentially the same. Radio host Fabian Merlo said that there is a delay in the responses of various political leaders and mentioned that Doug Ford is the indisputable provincial leader in Ontario. In a month, when the debates begin in the lead up to the federal election, Andrew Scheer will likely strike at Justin Trudeau over SNC-Lavalin, as well as other areas like the economy and negotiations with China. Trudeau will then point out in the debates that what Doug Ford is doing in Ontario is what they [the Conservatives] want to do at a federal level. Mendez said "poor Andrew Scheer," as she has had various opportunities to talk with Scheer, and she thinks he isn't a bad guy, but everything is weighing on his shoulders. Merlo said that if you are a good person, you should strive to act like a good person, and the actions that you take should reflect your intelligence, otherwise it's a contradiction. (22/08/2019) Ethnic media can help elucidate the cultural dynamics and intersectionality by sharing a unique perspective on global issues. MIREMS monitors ethnic media sources and provides valuable insight into crucial problems and the dominant opinions of different cultural communities. These stories are collected and cross-culturally translated by MIREMS multilingual consultants from coast-to-coast.
Multicultural Must Read: Understanding why Chinese people and new immigrants are easily misinformed8/12/2019 Chinese: How one's reading habits can be taken advantage of Vancouver's daily web source, BCbay.com, reports: Many Chinese people and new immigrants are easily fooled, because the information they consume still comes from WeChat, Weibo and other mainland Chinese social media, said the author of the piece, who realized how misinformed many Chinese people and new immigrants are after traveling abroad. The writer concluded that not caring about the English media makes it easy for them to fall into all kinds of traps. The writer pointed out that this year, as Canada's federal election looms, some parties have taken advantage of Chinese people's reading habits and are being two-faced in the Chinese and English media, making contradictory commitments to different groups and attempting to fish in troubled water. The writer said that for instance on Twitter, Conservative party leader Andrew Scheer has a tough stance and wants to confront China. However, on social media platforms that Chinese people often use, Scheer's attitude takes a 180 turn as he states that the Conservative party has always wanted to maintain good relations with China. (09/08/2019) Ethnic media can help elucidate the cultural dynamics and intersectionality by sharing a unique perspective on global issues. MIREMS monitors ethnic media sources and provides valuable insight into crucial problems and the dominant opinions of different cultural communities. These stories are collected and cross-culturally translated by MIREMS multilingual consultants from coast-to-coast.
Cantonese: Conservatives are close behind Vancouver's daily TV source, Fairchild TV British Columbia, reports: The Liberals are outspending other parties on Facebook election ads, according to new data released by the social media site. However, the Conservatives are close behind and are spending more per ad than any other party. The Facebook pages for the Liberal Party of Canada and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have spent a total of $92,307 on ads on the social media platform since the beginning of June, according to estimates offered by Facebook's ad library, a searchable tool that tracks advertising spending by page. The Conservative Party's page and party leader Andrew Scheer's own page have spent a total of $87,441, while the NDP has spent only $392 via leader Jagmeet Singh's page. The Green Party has spent a total of $1,036, and the Bloc Québécois has shelled out $384. (26/07/2019) Ethnic media can help elucidate the cultural dynamics and intersectionality by sharing a unique perspective on global issues. MIREMS monitors ethnic media sources and provides valuable insight into crucial problems and the dominant opinions of different cultural communities. These stories are collected and cross-culturally translated by MIREMS multilingual consultants from coast-to-coast.
Chinese: The fastest immigration pilot in Canada’s historyNorth York’s daily source, superlife.ca, reports: Canada is committed to attracting the best talents from around the world to fill in skill gaps, promote local economic development and create and support middle-class employment in communities across the country in order to benefit all Canadians. Canada is currently launching a new three-year pilot program of economic immigration to fill the labour shortage in the agri-food industry, particularly in meat processing and mushroom cultivation, and to help achieve Canada’s ambitious export targets. The new pilot aims to attract and retain workers by providing them with the opportunity to become permanent residents. "Immigration helps to grow the local economy and create jobs for Canadians," Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, said. "This pilot is another example." (15/07/19) London's (Ontario) daily source, londonchinese.ca, adds: Hussen said agriculture is a major contributor to Canada’s economic growth, which supports one-eighth of the jobs across Canada. So, as long as a person works in one of the specified jobs in the agriculture industry for at least a year, they can easily apply for permanent residence. Also, the IELTS requirement is only set at a score of four points, making the “agri-food immigration pilot” the fastest immigration pilot in Canada’s history. (15/07/19) Ethnic media can help elucidate the cultural dynamics and intersectionality by sharing a unique perspective on global issues. MIREMS monitors ethnic media sources and provides valuable insight into crucial problems and the dominant opinions of different cultural communities. These stories are collected and cross-culturally translated by MIREMS multilingual consultants from coast-to-coast.
Four months before the election, ethnic media are reporting on some of the same opinion polls and surveys circulating in the mainstream media, but often with an emphasis on newcomer preoccupations and ethnically specific concerns. Mandarin: What are new immigrants worried about Vancouver's daily radio source, Fairchild Radio, reports: A poll found that 72% of Canadians are worried about their future. The survey stated that anxiety is caused by both personal and global factors. According to the poll, for new immigrants, the rising cost of living is what they're most concerned about. The matter of second-highest concern to them is that it's hard to find a job. Still, 77 per cent said they are "proud of how tolerant Canada is as a country", and 85 per cent mentioned they were LGBTQ-friendly. (02/07/19) Ethnic media can help elucidate the cultural dynamics and intersectionality by sharing a unique perspective on global issues. MIREMS monitors ethnic media sources and provides valuable insight into crucial problems and the dominant opinions of different cultural communities. These stories are collected and cross-culturally translated by MIREMS multilingual consultants from coast-to-coast.
Multicultural Must Read: Behind the anger over Italian-Canadian community’s loss in LPC nomination7/5/2019 Italian: Apologies to Italian Canadians Montreal’s weekly source, II Cittadino Canadese, reports: Montreal’s Italian-Canadian community is still trying to figure out why did it lose the Liberal Party of Canada nomination in Saint-Léonard/Saint-Michel for the first time in 35 years. Tony Sciascia, President of the National Congress of Italian Canadians-Quebec Region, said Italians should be angry not with the Liberal Party but with former MP Nicola Di Iorio, who took sides among Italian candidates and split the community. Hassan Guillet, the candidate who eventually won, was good at organizing, resulting in many Italians voting for him. Regarding the apologies to the Italian community for the treatment of some of its members during World War II, Italians should remember that the Conservatives blocked past attempts to reach an honourable solution. At least with PM Justin Trudeau, there is a commitment to issue an apology after the election. (26/06/19) Ethnic media can help elucidate the cultural dynamics and intersectionality by sharing a unique perspective on global issues. MIREMS monitors ethnic media sources and provides valuable insight into crucial problems and the dominant opinions of different cultural communities. These stories are collected and cross-culturally translated by MIREMS multilingual consultants from coast-to-coast.
Written by Lina Katrin Immigration-related issues take up a significant portion of Canadian media landscape. One of the most recent stories that interested several ethnic media sources is about Russian women seeking asylum in Canada on the basis of the environmental issues in their home country. Torontovka.com, a Toronto-based Russian web source, shared a story of dozens of women from Kiselyovsk, a city of 90,000 in Siberia, who “begged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to let them come to Canada” in a video posted on YouTube. In the video, women take turns reading emotional statements, explaining how coal dust from nearby mines and factories made their lives unbearable. The statement says people there want Trudeau's help because Canada's refugee system recognizes "discrimination on social grounds," which they say applies to them. Hindi radio source based in Toronto, CMR FM 101.3, has also included the same story on their program Voice Radio Hindi. When discussing the issue, the program host Tamreen Kadri said that the women in the video, who identify themselves as mothers and grandmothers, say they are hard-working and can make a big contribution to Canada's economy, if given the chance. Canada's refugee rules, however, are largely silent on questions of environmental impacts. In general, only people fleeing conflict or political persecution are admitted as refugees. The Russian source Torontovka.com therefore concluded that the chances of any of the Kiselyovsk residents ending up in Canada appear remote. Immigration policy experts also said there is nothing in Canadian law that allows admittance of refugees because of pollution, especially if there are other places would-be refugees can live in their home countries. Still, Kadri praised Canada’s immigration system for refugees and said that the Canadian government may think about environmental refugees being admitted to Canada as the issue is being raised. Canada recently took new efforts to support immigrant women, as a Chinese web source based in Toronto, 51.ca, reported. Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen announced that the federal government will provide funds for 22 immigrant institutions to help immigrant and refugee women, who are visible minorities, land and keep jobs in Canada. He noted that newcomer women face many barriers in trying to find work in Canada, including racial discrimination, low-paid employment and lack of affordable childcare and social supports. The organizations that will get a cut of the $7.5 million pilot funding will launch projects over two years that aim to develop and test innovative approaches to help visible minority newcomer women find employment. The source reported that one commenter suggested to “just be straightforward if illegal border-crossing refugees are short on money.” Vancouver-based Korean source, The Korea Daily, also published an article regarding the new funding project. The source pointed out that while settling in Canada is difficult, IRCC noticed that ethnic minorities, especially women, have an even harder time. According to the 2016 census, the unemployment rate of newly landed immigrant women (with ethnic minority backgrounds) is 9.7%. Even their median annual income is significantly lower. The source stated that the new plan shows IRCC's willingness to support the full and equal participation of all women in the economy. Another ethnic media source that talked about the funds to boost employment for immigrant women is a Calgary-based Punjabi radio program on Red FM 106.7. Hussen talked on the phone with Rishi Nagar, a Good Morning Calgary host, and said that visible minority newcomer women face more challenges than any other group to enter the workforce. So, even though some women strive to immigrate to Canada, and the government makes some efforts to accommodate everyone, there are various gender equality issues that women of different race and nationality currently face in Canada. Here are some relevant topics that have been recently published across ethnic media platforms: Caribbean radio source, G 98.7 FM, talked about the gender equality issues regarding dress codes in schools on their program Mark & Jem in the Morning. It reported that the Toronto District School Board is acknowledging that school dress codes have been written and enforced in a way that disproportionately and negatively impacts several groups, including female identified students. One of the hosts said that the males are rarely checked for what they are wearing at school, but the women are. The codes also negatively impact racialized students, gender diverse, trans-gender and non-binary students, students with disabilities, socio-economically marginalized students and indigenous students. Ming Pao Toronto, a Chinese web source, addressed the abortion issue, highlighting that while abortion remains legal in Canada, some abortion rights advocates say women continue to face hurdles in accessing the procedure. Some provinces have placed limits on funding for the procedure, but in The Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada’s interpretation of the Canada Health Act, abortion services across the country must be fully funded. Meanwhile, a Spanish radio source, CHIN 91.9 FM, talked about how women are not cited in the news as often as men are in Canada. The source said that Radio Canada International published an important article, which notes that women are not in the news in Canada, while on the other hand, men are. Three-quarters of all people (71%) cited in the news are men, while only 29% are women. Radio host Silvia Méndez said that this is a call to action for media outlets to cite more female sources. These are just some of the most relevant recent topics that have been lately covered in ethnic media sources, but they vividly illustrate that gender equality is indeed an issue in Canada that needs to be constantly addressed and improved. In this respect, a Tamil radio source, CMR FM 101.3 Tamil Morning, reported that Canada’s federal government is committing $300 million in funding to launch a new global Equality Fund for women’s rights, as it reshapes the way it supports gender equality issues in Canada and abroad. Maryam Monsef, Minister of International Development and Minister of Women and Gender Equality, made the announcement about this new initiative, saying that it is aimed at creating a sustainable model to fund women's rights organizations in developing countries and at home. A Chinese source, Sing Tao Vancouver, added that Monsef said the Equality Fund brings together 11 organizations from the philanthropic, non-profit and financial sectors, including the Canada-based Match International Women's Fund, the African Women's Development Fund and Oxfam Canada. When it comes to global issues such as gender equality and immigration, multicultural opinions and unique commentary from different ethnic communities are especially valuable. Ethnic media can help elucidate the cultural dynamics and intersectionality by sharing a unique perspective on global issues. MIREMS monitors ethnic media sources and provides valuable insight into crucial problems and the dominant opinions of different cultural communities. Stay tuned for more blog posts!
Chinese: Cutting the number of immigrants isn’t the answerVancouver’s daily source, BCbay.com, reports on the results of a new poll: Sixty-three per cent of respondents to a recent Leger poll said the government should prioritize limiting immigration levels. This poll also found that 44% of respondents think immigration makes Canada better, while 15% of respondents believe immigration is negatively impacting the country. However, Ahmed Hussen, Immigration Minister, thinks that the answer is not to cut the number of immigrants coming to Canada. Instead, Hussen believes it is best to continue with an ambitious program to invest in infrastructure, in housing and in transit, so that everyone can benefit from those improvements. Such community services then could be used to integrate newcomers, and that approach would also benefit Canadians. Hussen added: "What worries me is seeing the leader of the official opposition taking a stance that is rooted in misinformation and conspiracy theories..." (17/06/2019) Ethnic media can help elucidate the cultural dynamics and intersectionality by sharing a unique perspective on global issues. MIREMS monitors ethnic media sources and provides valuable insight into crucial problems and the dominant opinions of different cultural communities. These stories are collected and cross-culturally translated by MIREMS multilingual consultants from coast-to-coast.
Multicultural Must Read: Record number of Korean-Canadian candidates are running for office6/12/2019 Korean: Four Korean-Canadian candidates in Toronto alone Toronto’s daily source, The Korea Times Daily, reports: Diversity is at its peak for the Canadian federal election as a record-high number of candidates from the Korean community are running for office this fall. There are currently four Korean-Canadian candidates alone, including Mae J. Nam, who was appointed by the Beaches-East York NDP riding association. Meanwhile, the Toronto-Danforth NDP riding association selected Min Sook Lee as its candidate. All four Korean-Canadian candidates are children of immigrants and three of them are women and NDP candidates, which illustrates a shift in generations of the community. (07/06/2019) Ethnic media can help elucidate the cultural dynamics and intersectionality by sharing a unique perspective on global issues. MIREMS monitors ethnic media sources and provides valuable insight into crucial problems and the dominant opinions of different cultural communities. These stories are collected and cross-culturally translated by MIREMS multilingual consultants from coast-to-coast.
Chinese: In preparation for the Women Deliver 2019 ConferenceVancouver's daily source, Sing Tao Vancouver, reports: In preparation for the world’s largest gathering on the rights, health and well-being of women and girls, the Women Deliver 2019 Conference, the Government of Canada is mobilizing all sectors to take action on gender equality by investing in innovative cross-sector partnerships. Maryam Monsef, minister for Women and Gender Equality, announced two new initiatives: one with BMO Financial Group and the other with the Canadian Partnership for Women and Children's Health to stimulate partnerships between diverse communities, civil society and public and private sectors in order to advance gender equality. (22/05/2019) Women Deliver 2019 Global Conference will be held in Vancouver from June 3 to June 6. Ethnic media can help elucidate the cultural dynamics and intersectionality by sharing a unique perspective on global issues. MIREMS monitors ethnic media sources and provides valuable insight into crucial problems and the dominant opinions of different cultural communities. These stories are collected and cross-culturally translated by MIREMS multilingual consultants from coast-to-coast.
In May 2019, MIREMS VP Silke Reichrath attended the Canadian Immigration Summit 2019 organized by the Conference Board of Canada. The declared aim of the meet was to “explore how Canada can respond proactively to emerging immigration issues in a rapidly changing world”. During two intensive days of presentations, workshops and informal discussion, participants engaged around immigration levels, ways to select the best immigrants, settlement and integration, credential recognition, special barriers faced by female immigrants, and finally causes of and responses to populism and racism. As far as we could see, while many of the issues involved the need to understand and communicate, ethnic and multicultural media was MIA in most of these discussions. Unfortunately, the role of the Canadian multilingual media, domestic ethnic as well as homeland, was barely addressed. It is not only a valuable early warning system for issues in the community, but also an indispensable outreach tool to newcomers and potential immigrants alike. It is even instrumental in dispelling false information and rumors about immigrating to Canada. Missing this information were the roughly 300 federal, provincial and municipal staff working on immigration and settlement policy, settlement agencies and other community organizations, immigration consultants, academics and Conference Board of Canada members in attendance. Many were from the growing for-profit and not-for-profit industry supporting immigrants: immigration consultants, investment and start-up business consultants, employment services, settlement services, boards of trade and chambers of commerce, professional associations responsible for accreditation, language learning and testing services and multicultural associations. Municipal staff were mostly from smaller municipalities grappling with redirecting immigration to their cities: Guelph, Hamilton, London (Ontario), Sudbury, Ottawa, Moncton, Morden and Calgary and Atlantic provinces showed notable provincial interest. The general consensus was that more immigrants are needed to replace retiring baby-boomers and grow the workforce. The goal is to optimize the selection criteria and the integration process, with coordinated and accessible immigrant services ideally starting before arrival, taking into consideration that 56% of immigrants are women, who have a lower labour force participation rate and higher unemployment rate than Canadian women, and encouraging more immigration to Canada’s far North. Presenters said that to respond to current sentiments, Canada needs to remain a country of law as well as a country of immigration and needs to ensure generosity is not taken advantage of. Messaging should highlight immigrants as talented assets and risk-takers who benefit society, not as a problem to be ‘fixed’ and integrated. Informal one on one discussions showed an interest in ethnic media mostly from the outreach perspective and conveying information about available services and programs to newcomer audiences. However, if you want to sell, speak the language of the buyer, and that means not only the words but the context – knowing the media in which you place your stories is essential to their success. While large metropolitan areas like Toronto and Vancouver have very extensive ethnic media landscapes, smaller cities and provinces are just starting to build this media infrastructure, and it is important to reach out to them and get to know them. Many have a handful of papers run by local entrepreneurs catering to their own language communities and weekly radio programs in minority languages run on community or campus stations. These local programs tend to grow and eventually lead to the establishment of a multicultural station with slots for a variety of groups. Most of these papers and programs are more than happy to convey information and allow space for discussion with service providers and local officials. MIREMS Ltd. – Multilingual International Research and Ethnic Media Services has been providing media monitoring and outreach services to government, private sector and non-profit organizations for the past 30 years. Our web site at www.mirems.com contains a wealth of information that can help you get familiar with the multilingual media in your community. Don’t miss our regular blogs, as well as please visit our not-for profit citizenship education effort at www.diversityvotes.ca. Want to know the ethnic population of your local ridings and what media they read? We have merged our media intelligence with riding statistics developed by Andrew Griffith, author of the not to be missed www.multiculturalmeanderings.com. Check it out!
Caribbean: Pardon is not enough Vaughan’s weekly print newspaper, Share, reports on the controversy: Several activists have recently discussed how the legalization of marijuana in Canada has affected Caribbean communities both in Canada and in the region and what lies ahead for the community. The discussion took place at Ryerson University in connection with the mixed reactions evoked by the easing of laws governing the use of cannabis in Canada. The recreational use of marijuana was legalized in the country last October, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promising that his government will consider pardoning people convicted in the past of marijuana possession. However, activist Donisha Prendergast is among those who think that a simple pardon is not enough. She and her fellow panelists addressed many people who have suffered in the past when using or possessing cannabis was against the law. They emphasized how mothers and fathers were arrested, imprisoned and separated from their children, negatively impacting families and their mental health. Prendergast said that marijuana, previously criminalized and presented to society as an illegal drug, has been rebranded for people like former police officers, involved in what is now known as the cannabis industry. (21/03/2019) MIREMS monitors ethnic media sources and provides valuable insight into the dominant opinions of different cultural communities. These stories are collected and cross-culturally translated by MIREMS multilingual consultants from coast-to-coast.
Haitian: Sweet Micky’s concert cancelled after heated protests Port-au-Prince’s daily online source, Loop Haiti, published an article highlighting the voices of activists: A lot of protests were sparked in Montreal because of singer Sweet Micky’s (Michel Martelly’s stage name) arrival, two days before his show that was scheduled for Friday, March 22, but cancelled last minute because of all demonstrations. Martelly, former President of Haiti, is accused of having made indecent, salacious and sexist comments against women in the past. Many people among the Haitian community in Montreal were concerned by Martelly’s visit to Canada, especially some major women’s organizations, such as Maison d’Haïti, CLES, MCVI and RQ CALACS. "He is a notorious misogynist," Marjorie Villefranche, Executive Director of the Maison d'Haïti, said. "This incitement to rape and the trivialization of rape is not a speech that is possible for us in Montreal." For many activists, Martelly is not welcomed in Montreal because of numerous accusations of corruption and embezzlement of public funds weighing on him. Last January, sociologist Frédéric Boisrond sent a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking for Sweet Micky's concert to be cancelled. "We are at a time when we must take responsibility as citizens," Boisrond said. The issue is not to prevent an artist from coming back, but rather to prevent a type of speech from returning to Canada. (20/03/2019) MIREMS monitors ethnic media sources and provides valuable insight into the dominant opinions of different cultural communities. These stories are collected and cross-culturally translated by MIREMS multilingual consultants from coast-to-coast.
This week’s special collection of by-election reporting from Canada’s ethnic media is our biggest yet, as many outlets chimed in on the discussion of election results, Singh's victory, the role of diversity politics in these by-elections and the popularity of Bernier's People's Party within some minority communities. These stories are collected and cross-culturally translated by MIREMS multilingual consultants from coast-to-coast. Plus: Explore these stories by the numbers on Multicultural Meanderings. Chinese: "NDP insists that their Orange Wave is not dead in Quebec" Vancouver's Canadian Chinese Express reports: On Monday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh won the by-election in British Columbia's Burnaby South riding. Liberal candidate Rachel Bendayan won the by-election in Quebec's Outremont riding, while Conservative Scot Davidson won in York-Simcoe in Ontario. Jagmeet Singh's victory finally gave him the opportunity to challenge PM Trudeau face-to-face in the House of Commons. Upon the Liberal Party's victory in Quebec, Liberal Infrastructure Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne declared that the NDP's Orange Wave is dead in Quebec. Jagmeet Singh did not agree with Champagne's remark while MP Alexandre Boulericem of Quebec said that Champagne's remark reflects the typical arrogance of the federal Liberal Party. Conservative MP Gerard Deltell of Quebec said that the NDP has not died in Quebec and stressed that conclusion should not be drawn from one by-election. (28/02/2019) Chinese: "Federal by-elections; why do Chinese people once again support the extreme right?" Online news source in Vancouver, BCbay.com reports: The three by-elections that were held on February 25 were considered, to some extent, a trial run for the federal election. The by-election results are likely to predict the outcome of the federal election, therefore it received lots of attention in the political arena. What is puzzling to experts is that the extreme-right People's Party, which has been scorned by mainstream politics for being against multiculturalism, actually received 10.6% of the votes in the Burnaby South by-election. UBC political scientist David Moscrop mentioned that it's hard to explain why the People's Party received nearly 11% of the votes in Burnaby South. But according to information being circulated in Chinese circles, People's Party candidate Thompson received support from a large number of Chinese voters. Why are so many Chinese people willing to support a Canadian right-wing candidate? Someone wrote that Thompson is known for being against SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity) sex ed, and is the favoured candidate of many Chinese people. That writer said if 10,000 people support Thompson, then she would win, or lose by a smaller margin. If Thompson really gets elected, then any party would consider Chinese people important in this year's federal elections. (28/02/2019) Filipino: "Singh survives byelection test. Now he needs to shift his focus from his leadership to NDP policies" Filipino source from Mississauga, Atin Ito reports: Jagmeet Singh stepped before the microphones late Monday night, savouring a rare moment of victory. After 16 months without a seat in the Commons — and dire warnings from within his own party that he’d either win the seat or find himself looking for another job — the NDP leader defied his critics and the pundits by capturing Burnaby South. Singh led throughout the night over his main rivals, Conservative candidate Jay Shin and the Liberal’s Richard Lee. Some will still suggest that Lee, a long-time provincial politician, had too much ground to make up after the Liberals original choice was forced to resign mid-campaign after making remarks in Mandarin about Singh’s ethnicity that were considered offensive. The PPC did surprisingly well in Burnaby South. The party’s candidate took about 11 per cent of the vote there, most of it from the Conservatives. In the other two races, Bernier’s candidates barely registered. What does that mean? Possibly very little. But Conservatives will have to consider the potential impact of vote-splitting with the People Party this fall in swing ridings, where even a small amount of vote bleeding just might mean the difference between them and the Liberals. (27/02/2019) Chinese: "By-elections results are released! NDP's performance was unexpected" Online Chinese source Yorkbbs reports: After a fierce round of competition, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh won in Burnaby South. Conservative candidate Scot Davidson won in York-Simcoe, while Liberal candidate Rachel Bendayan won in Outremont. Singh wrote on Twitter that he's determined and ready to fight for the help people need - from the housing crisis to health care not covering everyone the way it should, Canadians deserve better. This isn't the end of a campaign - it's the beginning of one. The writer asked if the readers were shocked by the results of this by-election. (26/02/2019). Cantonese: "Maxime Bernier's People's Party posts mixed-bag results after its first byelection test" Fairchild TV British Columbia reports: The fledgling People's Party of Canada got off to an uneven start in its first electoral test Monday in a trio of federal byelections. The party, founded last fall by former Conservative leadership contender Maxime Bernier, captured some 11% of the vote in the Vancouver-area riding of Burnaby South but failed to make much of a splash among voters in the rural Ontario riding of York—Simcoe or the urban Montreal-area riding of Outremont where the party had less than 2% of the final tally. However, some analysts said People's Party of Canada has a fair amount of supporters. (27/02/2019) Hindi: "Federal byelection results indicate tough road ahead for all three parties" Commentary from Khurshid Akram on Radio CINA 1650 AM News: The results of federal byelections held in three ridings in Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec have indicated that upcoming federal election will not be easy for all three major parties. All three parties- Liberal, Conservative and NDP- have gained one seat in the three byelections. Political experts say that the Liberals can still trust Quebec voters in October federal elections. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who has got a historical victory in Burnaby South, is planning to rejuvenate his party. Singh is the first non- white leader who will lead a major federal party in the House of Commons. Conservatives win in York—Simcoe riding in Ontario, but their vote share increased by just 3.6%. This increase is not enough to ensure a victory for conservatives in the next federal elections. (27/02/2019) Portuguese: "Who is Jagmeet Singh?" Peter Ferreira writes for Milenio Stadium: Jagmeet Singh was born on January 2, 1979, in Scarborough and is the son of Indian immigrant parents. He is a lawyer specializing in criminal defence and has been leader of the New Democratic Party since 2017. Ideologically, Singh judges himself a progressive and social democrat. He argues that the federal minimum wage should rise to $15 an hour and supports the decriminalization of all drugs for personal use and the elimination of several tax deductions available to those who earn more. Singh's election to Canadian Parliament was hampered by political manoeuvres aimed at denying him a platform in the capital. Although this year's election date has now been set, there are still questions as to whether the government is able to decide how long communities are left without representation. Singh is facing a critical test in the Burnaby South election on February 25. Singh's campaign is drawing attention to some of the racial dynamics at stake and questions about what representation really means. Needless to say, this is his greatest opportunity to enter Parliament and face Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Opposition Leader Andrew Scheer. (22/02/2019) Punjabi: "Davidson holds on to Ontario riding of York-Simcoe for Conservatives" Punjabi radio show Red FM 93.1 Punjabi Morning reports: In Monday’s by-elections, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair’s old riding of Outremont was snagged by Liberal Rachel Bendayan, while with 54% of the vote, Scot Davidson held on to the riding of York-Simcoe for the Conservatives. Jagmeet Singh won the by-election in Burnaby South, retaining the seat previously held by former NDP MP Kennedy Stewart. (26/02/2019). Punjabi: "Federal by-election results: An analysis WTOR 770 AM Radio South Asian Pulse Prime Time in Mississauga reports: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has new life with his victory in the Burnaby South byelection. The victory of the Liberal candidate in Quebec, indicates a strong position for Justin Trudeau in Quebec. The number of seats that the federal Liberal Party won in Quebec in the 2015 election may increase (in the October election). Andrew Scheer's Conservative Party has won its traditional seat in Ontario-York—Simcoe. However, the interesting fact is this that People's Party of Canada has a vote share of more than 11% in Burnaby South and the Green Party got 13% in Outremont, Quebec. It shows that the environment will prove to be a big issue in Quebec, while Maxime Bernier’s anti-immigrant policy can harm the Conservatives’ vote bank in British Columbia, especially in the Lower Mainland that has a large immigrant population. (26/02/2019) Chinese: "Why did Laura Lynn Tyler Thompson receive more than 2,000 votes?" Chang Xi reports for 51.ca: People's Party candidate Laura Lynn Tyler Thompson didn't get elected as MP in the Burnaby South by-election, but the number of votes she received was shocking enough. 2,420 votes were not enough to send her to Parliament, but it was enough for people to see the People's Party, and the forces it represents in the Vancouver area. The People's Party not only attracted voters who are dissatisfied with the Liberal government, but it also attracted voters who are dissatisfied with Conservative party leader Scheer and the direction in which the Conservatives are heading. Having a Trump-like politician offers them a new option. Usually, these Conservatives are more likely to be white males, but in Vancouver, a large number of Thompson's supporters are Chinese. This appears to be unexpected, but is actually reasonable - church influence, different values of their native country and Canada, and their dissatisfaction with Trudeau all became the main reasons for the Chinese community to turn to the right. If one were to say that the Scarborough hijab gate ignited the anger of Chinese people in the GTA, then Chinese people in Vancouver being dissatisfied with the government and refugee policy was a direct result of Marrisa Shen's murder in Vancouver. (26/02/2019) Punjabi: "'Judgment Day': An opinion on the federal election scene through the Burnaby South by-election" Toronto's CIAO AM 530 Frontline Radio reports: Monday was the "Judgment Day for the NDP and its leader Jagmeet Singh", said the program host. If you look at the recent public opinion survey from Angus Reid, the Conservative Party is in the lead, and the Liberals and the NDP come after the Conservatives. The host said that the Liberal Party will need to work hard if they want to win again at the federal level. If the NDP moves up Canada-wide, then it will definitely benefit the Conservative Party of Canada. Currently, the candidate of Maxime Bernier's newly formed People's Party of Canada is running ahead in the Burnaby South by-election. However, the result of the federal by-election was going to tell whether the graph of the NDP and Jagmeet Singh will go up or down. (25/02/2019) Chinese: "Toronto Star: a large number of People's Party supporters are Chinese" BCbay.com reports: People’s Party supporters showed up at Burnaby South by-election debates and were louder than the supporters of any other party. In the third debate, they broken into anger and shouted "Canadians first" when the topic of immigration arose, while others shouted "racist" and "fascist" in response. This is one face of an increasingly visible populist movement in Canada. Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson is running in Burnaby South. Her results could be an early indicator of the PPC’s chances in the upcoming general election. Unlike most populist movements, Tyler Thompson's supporters aren't white males, but a large number of Chinese people. She said that Canadians who appreciate family values are disappointed with current politics. This is why so many Conservative party supports have turned to support the People's Party. In addition, she said a silent majority of Canadians are sick and tired of living in fear. One commenter says the extreme left in Canada inspired the extreme right. (25/02/2019). Itaian: "Critical by-elections for NDP leader" Montreal's Italian CFMB AM 1280 Italian Morning reports: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh could join the House of Commons after today’s by-elections, but his party could also lose the riding of Outremont. The by-election in South Burnaby near Vancouver will be decisive for him and his party. After being criticized for his absence from the House of Commons, Mr. Singh is trying to get elected for the first time. If he loses, he may have a hard time keeping his job as party leader. The caucus could in fact unilaterally replace him with an acting leader ahead of the October federal general election. In Montreal, the New Democrats are not likely to hold on to Outremont, a former Liberal stronghold first won by Thomas Mulcair in a by-election in 2007, which set the stage for the "orange wave" that swept over Quebec in 2011. With the NDP's falling behind in voter support, the Liberals expect to take Outremont. The Conservatives have little prospects of winning. For the Bloc Québécois, Monday’s vote is a first test for their new leader, Yves-François Blanchet. In Ontario, the Conservatives should keep their stronghold; however, all eyes will be on the result of Maxime Bernier's new party. Voter turnout is expected to be very low in all three constituencies, which could result in some surprises. (25/02/2019) Filipino: "Impact of political scandal, religious symbols debate felt in Outremont byelection" The Philippine Canadian Inquirer reports:
Julia Sanchez, the NDP’s candidate in Monday’s Outremont byelection, says people in the riding talk to her about climate change, wealth inequality – and sometimes what the leader of her party wears on his head. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is Sikh and wears a turban, making him conspicuously religious in front of a heavily secular province. His French is also weaker than the two previous party leaders, complicating the job of appealing to Quebec voters. “Some people are concerned about (the turban),” Sanchez said during a recent interview following a candidate debate in the riding. Kathryn Furlong, 43, who attended the debate, said she voted for Sanchez, an economist with experience in humanitarian work and climate activism, at an advance poll. She has voted Liberal in the past “but never by conviction. Sometimes to keep the out the Conservatives.” (25/02/2019) |
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