Philippine Showbiz Today
March 22 - April 7, 2019
Jan. 22-Feb.7, 2015
9
NDP MP Jenny Kwan talks opportunities for newcomers with
Liberal MP Gary Anandasangaree on TVO Political Blind Date
For newcomers, the Canadian
Dream is one of acceptance and
equal opportunity, no matter their
immigration status or place of
origin. Are we really as equitable
as we claim to be? How do our
government policies make or
break the Canadian Dream?
Airing this Thursday, the fifth
episode of Political Blind Date,
season 2, brings together NDP
MP Jenny Kwan and Liberal MP
Gary Anandasangaree to discuss
the topic of opportunities for
newcomers.
Each
weekly
half-hour
installment
of Political
Blind
Date explores a different issue by
first inviting two politicians to plan
a platonic date for one another.
Each person introduces the other
to interesting situations that best
illustrate a point of view on the
issue.
“The first season of Political
Blind Date resonated with both
audiences and critics because it
created a unique opportunity for
politicians to debate ideas and
issues that matter to people in this
province and country,” says John
Ferri, Vice-President of Current
Affairs and Documentaries at
TVO. “The second season is
equally energizing. No sound
bites, no partisan bickering, just
real people having honest, candid
conversations.”
In this episode, Kwan
introduces
Anandasangaree
to Jocelyn and Shirley, two
caregivers from the Philippines.
Through their stories, Kwan hopes
to illustrate the human impact of
what she considers to be unjust
and
inhumane
immigration
policies.
Kwan, who is the NDP
critic for immigration, refugees
and citizenship, states that
since elected as a Member of
Parliament, she had pushed
the government to amend its
immigration policies regarding
caregivers, home support workers
and other domestic workers. She
connected with caregivers in
cities all over Canada and brought
their stories and experiences to
the public eye through different
channels.
She
repeatedly
questioned the government on
the topic in parliament and held
numerous press conferences
with different caregiver groups
and organizations. Appearing
on Political Blind Date was another
attempt to bring public awareness
to the caregivers’ plight.
Kwan states: “I am pleased to
inform you that after the promo
of this episode was released,
the government has announced
major changes to the immigration
policies pertaining to domestic
workers. In his statements
to the press, the Immigration
Minister highlighted Joycelyn’s
heartbreaking story as a sample
case of why changes needed
to be made. Clearly the
strong advocacy from the
caregivers, migrant groups and
the opposition have paid off.”
Caregiver Jocelyn was
separated from her family for
13 years due to processing
backlogs and immigration
policies that kept families apart
until the caregivers’ permanent
resident application is approved.
Kwan held a press conference
jointly with Joycelyn in Toronto
two years ago, bringing to light the
harm that the government policies
have had on her family and on
other caregivers. The caregivers’
stories and the public attention
to their predicament pressured
the government to amend its
immigration policies, reducing the
processing times for caregivers’
PR applications and allowing for
families to remain together.
Political Blind Date is a
TVO Original documentary series
produced in association with
Open Door Co. and Nomad Films.
Viewers can also stream the show
on TVO’s website at: https://www.
tvo.org/video/documentaries/
political-blind-date/ep-5-the-
promise-of-multiculturalism ●