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Keywords: Chan, Raymond ; Head tax ; National Congress of Chinese Canadians ; the Chinese Canadian National Council ; Yao, Yong'an ; Zhu, Weiguang ; Zhou, Minghui ; Rongzi, Grace ; Lie, Guoyuan
聯邦、華聯會 簽人頭稅協議
政府承認錯誤但不道歉 將撥款250萬用於紀念歷史、教育後代 未來擬擴充為1250萬
【本報記者阮耀毅溫哥華報導】聯邦多元文化部長陳卓愉昨日宣布，已與全加華人聯會 (NCCC )就人頭稅平反達成初步協議。聯邦將撥款250萬元用於紀念歷史（Commemoration ) 與敎育後代（Education) ，讓後人記取歷史敎訓。未來金額將擴充爲1250萬元。他強調這筆款項絕非賠償 (Compensation )，政府僅承認錯誤（Acknowledgement)，但不道歉(Apology) °
陳卓愉認爲簽署協議對全體華人是歷史性一刻，自己在就任多元文化部長前，即要求總理馬田正視人頭稅議題，獲總理允諾全力協助。如今這項延宕多年，受華裔社區普遍關注的人頭稅平反議題，終於獲得解決。
他強調，情感上支持對受害者進行個人賠償，但每個時代都有歧視問題，且加國最高法院已判決政府無須對人頭稅受害者賠償，礙於整體施政及法律考量，聯邦無法公開道歉，以避免引來層出不窮的索賠官司。
當被問到平權會（CCNC) 認爲他們並非要求賠償，僅是要求退款(Refund )時，陳卓愉強調平權會所言不實，他們當初明明控吿政府要求賠償，並遭高院判決敗訴。他反問平權會：「繳過的稅，如何能退？」
他批評平權會誤導民衆，一再對外聲稱政府從未與他們溝通，事實上第一個看過政府協議草案内容者，就是平權會。只不過平權會拒絕接受政府計畫或協商，並非聯邦不與他們討論。
華聯會共同主席陳丙丁再度呼籲全體華裔圑結一致，接受協議，並透過紀念歷史與敎育後代，讓全國民衆了解華人所經歷的歷史悲劇。
他歡迎所有支持這項協議的華裔社團踴躍參加即日起在溫哥華舉行的華人代表大會，商討聯邦撥款的管理與運用事宜。他也向平權會喊話，希望平權會出席會議，共商大計。
昨日出席簽約儀式者還包括大多倫多中華文化中心、滿地可中華文化中心及華裔軍事博物館代表。中僑互助會、溫哥華中華文化中心、全加中華總會館、中華會館等僑團均表態支持。
【圖片】： 僑團不滿人頭稅協議。左起姚永安、朱偉光、周明輝、葛蕾絲·榮子、列國遠。（阮耀毅/攝）
English translation: Federal Government and National Congress of Chinese Canadians
Sign the Head Tax Agreement
The Government Acknowledges Its Mistake but Does Not Apologize
Will Allocate 2.5 Million to Commemorate History and Educate Future Generations
Plans to Expand to 12.5 Million in the Future
Reported by Ruan Yaoyi from Vancouver
The Minister of State (Multiculturalism) Raymond Chan announced yesterday that a preliminary agreement had been reached with the National Congress of Chinese Canadians (NCCC) on the redress of the head tax. The federal government will allocate 2.5 million dollars to commemorate the history of the head tax (Commemoration) and educate future generations so that they can learn the lessons from it. The amount will be expanded to 12.5 million in the future. He emphasized that this amount is definitely not a compensation. The government acknowledges the mistake, (Acknowledgement) but does not apologize (Apology).
Raymond Chan believes that the signing of the agreement is a historic moment for all Chinese. Before taking up his post as Minister of Multiculturalism, he asked Prime Minister Martin to look the issue of the head tax in the face and was supported by the Prime Minister. Now after many years of delay, the issue of the head tax, which the Chinese community has been widely concerned by, has finally been solved.
He stressed that emotionally, he would support the need for individual compensation for head tax payers. However, every era has its discrimination issues, and the Supreme Court of Canada has decided that the government does not need to compensate the head tax payers. The federal government cannot apologize publicly due to their overall policies and legal considerations. Otherwise, there will be endless claims.
When he was told that the Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC) thought that they were not asking for compensation but a refund, Raymond Chan stressed that it was not true. They had clearly claimed to the government for compensation and had lost the case in the court. He asked the CCNC in reply: “How can a paid tax be refunded?”
He criticized the CCNC for misleading the people and for repeatedly claiming that the government had never communicated with the CCNC. In fact, the CCNC saw the draft content of the agreement with the government first. The issue is that the CCNC refuses to accept the government’s plans or negotiations, not that the government will not confer with the CCNC.
The cochair of the NCCC, Ping T. Tan, once again appealed to all Chinese Canadians to unite in accepting the agreement, which would let the people of the whole country understand the historical tragedies experienced by the Chinese by commemorating history and educating future generations.
He welcomes all Chinese communities that support the agreement to actively participate in the Chinese Congress in Vancouver that started today to discuss how to manage and make use of the federal grants. He also sends the message to the CCNC, in the hopes that the CCNC will attend the meeting and discuss the plan.
Representatives from the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto, the Chinese Cultural Center of Montreal, and the Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society also attended the signing ceremony yesterday. Chinese leagues such as S.U.C.C.E.S.S., the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver, the Chinese Benevolent Association of Canada and the Chinese Benevolent Association have all expressed their support.
[Photo]: The Chinese League is dissatisfied with the head tax agreement. From left: Yao Yong’an, Zhu Weiguang, Zhou Minghui, Grace·Rongzi (by pronunciation), and Lie Guoyuan. (Ruan Yaoyi /Photography)
