Where is the Liberal Party?More on Wendy Yuan's Troubled Election Bid

Liberal candidate Wendy Yuan condemned for playing the race card

By Charlie Smith. October 11, 2008. The Georgia Straight.

Vancouver photographer Patrick Tam has called upon Vancouver Kingsway Liberal candidate Wendy Yuan's campaign to apologize for a Chinese-language ad that plays up her Chinese heritage.

Tam, a long-time supporter of New Democratic Party candidates, sent the Straight a copy of the ad, which compares Yuan to her NDP rival Don Davies.

The ad, which appeared in Sing Tao yesterday according to Tam, describes Yuan as a successful entrepreneur who will cut taxes and who speaks Chinese. Davies is described as having a union background who will increase taxes and who doesn't speak Chinese.

"Please unite on 10/14 and cast a vote for our Chinese community candidate, Wendy Yuan," the ad states.

Tam claimed in his e-mail that the ad is "racist" because it basically says: "Vote for me because I'm the same race as you."

Tam stated in his e-mail that he knows Yuan personally, and he is "very saddened and disappointed that she allowed her team" to place the ad.

"It makes us Chinese look bad in the eyes of the other Canadians," Tam claimed.

2008-10-10 SingTao Daily - page B16 - Wendy YUAN Ad

Verbatim translation of this ad.
= = = = = = = = = = = =
PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE FOR WENDY YUAN
NDP candidate - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Liberal Party candidate
Don Davies - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Wendy Yuan
union background - - - - - - - - - - - - - - successful entrepreneur
increase taxes - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - cut taxes
do not speak Chinese- - - - - - - - - - - - speaks Chinese
no [CHN] community leader support - has [CHN] community leader support

This federal election, the Conservative party candidate is so unknown that he's
only an also-run. Please unite, on 10/14 cast a vote for our Chinese community candidate, Wendy Yuan.

Thank you!

Authorised by Yi Xin Chen
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Don Davies Response - Chinese Ad (Translated)

In the last few days, Wendy Yuan's ads contain messages that mislead the voters.
The truth is:- The Liberal's carbon tax will increase your hydro bill, fuel bill and home heating expenses.
- The NDP's policies will not increase personal or corporate income tax.
- Don has a few successful careers. He was a successful government worker, a successful lawyer and a successful consultant in labour relations.
- In the Kingsway riding, Don has the support from all ethnic groups and community leaders.
- The Liberal Party lost the last election because of scandals and the lost of trust of the voters.
- The main reason that Wendy Yuan plays such an important role in the Liberal Party is because in the last federal election she stepped aside as the Kingsway candidate and let David Emerson run.

Wendy Yuan is misleading you, she's not worth your trust.

Only the NDP have the courage to fight Harper and the Conservatives.
We need the truth and respect for politics.

Oct 14, for you and your family, please cast your vote for Don Davies and the NDP.

Paid and authorised by the official agent for Don Davies.

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Follow up:
Liberal candidate Wendy Yuan denies playing the race card

By Charlie Smith. October 11th. Original story modified, Georgia Straight.

Yuan's campaign, however, sent a reply to Tam denying responsibility for the ad and insisting it was bought by a third party.

"In reply to Patrick Tam's comment let us be very clear that this was a 3rd Party Ad and it was not published by the Wendy Yuan campaign. We did not authorize it and had no prior knowledge of it."

The Yuan campaign added: "As Patrick and others know, Wendy has worked exceptionally hard in all communities in Vancouver Kingsway. In reality she is an individual that is committed to building bridges. It is true she has an ability to communicate in other languages and knows well the realities that many face in making Canada their home. She is a proud Canadian and she will work with all the residents of Vancouver Kingsway to make our community stronger and to assist people in realizing their aspirations and dreams."

Davies will be endorsed by the following supporters: MLA Jenny Kwan, UBC medical school professor and Vision Vancouver council candidate Kerry Jang, lawyer and former NDP federal candidate Tommy Tao, COPE activist Meena Wong, NDP MLA Adrian Dix, Jack Ho, head-tax activists Grace Schenkveld and Ron Mah, Raymond Ying, Thomas Yip, Inderjeet Hundal, unsuccessful Vision Vancouver council hopeful and Filipino community leader Rey Umlas, Ronnie Nicolasora, NDP MLA and long-time human-rights activist Raj Chouhan, Katrina Chen of the Taiwanese Association, and multiculturalism advicate Todd Wong.

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I’m sorry, readers and voters have to be reminded of the little tidbit below. Ms. Yuan has a long history of denying her involvement in things that are a bit on the sketchy side during nomination, or election bids. Once again, she was caught out, outright slamming her opponent and appealing to Chinese voters by playing one of the only things she has going for her, her ability to speak Chinese.

I also have to take serious exception to this statement: The Yuan campaign added: "As Patrick and others know, Wendy has worked exceptionally hard in all communities in Vancouver Kingsway.”

I’d like Ms. Yuan to tell voters EXACTLY what “hard work” she has done with ANY communities in V-K? Because I’ve read her election brochure and her bio and she hasn’t done one damn bit of community work in this riding, if she had, she would have shouted that from the rooftops in this election. The ONLY community work SHE mentions is her work on the board of SUCCESS, which is a great organization, that primarily provides services strictly to the Chinese community.

I’ve had enough of this window dressing and I think A LOT of other voters have too. The REAL DEAL is that Ms. Yuan has always positioned herself in this riding and her party wants her in this riding because they are PLAYING THE RACE CARD, due to the high population of Chinese voters. She doesn’t really live here (except for the election), she doesn’t work here (her business is in South Vancouver) and she hasn’t spent one moment contributing to the health and wellbeing of ALL of the citizens of the Vancouver-Kingsway constituency by being involved in our community.

An additional issue is Ms. Yuan, her campaign and the Liberal Party’s concerted effort to ignore the statements she has made about China’s human rights abuses of the Falun Gong. This has turned into an election issue for many, both in the Chinese community and a more broad base of voters. I know this, because they are e-mailing me and I saw it at the All Candidates meeting, where Ms. Yuan was offensive,in her evasiveness, to Chinese citizens who was asking her a legitimate question: to confirm whether she had stated "For Falun Gong, our policy is not to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs.”

I think it is an important issue to delve into, especially considering Ms. Yuan’s possible positioning as a Liberal candidate, who would likely be placed into a position where she will be a liaison to the Chinese government on issues of trade and commerce if the Liberals were to win the riding. I think all constituents of Vancouver-Kingsway deserve to know where Ms. Yuan and the Liberal party stand on trade initiatives with a nation whose human rights abuses of all citizens, not just Falun Gong, impact all of us at a global level.

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In 2004, Yuan stepped aside to allow David Emerson , to run as a Liberal in Vancouver Kingsway. Here’s an interesting little e-mail controversy that came up during 2006 nominations for the Liberal riding candidate where it is alleged that Wendy Yuan's campaign manager. allies and insiders may have had something to do with changing the addresses of registered party members so people would be ineligible to vote in the riding nomination contest against Mason Loh. In the end, it didn’t matter since Emerson elbowed everyone else when he was placed in the riding by the Liberals and we all know how that went. More about how the big guns from Liberals HQ denied Loh's appeal.

Wendy Yuan denied she knew any of this. She continued to stress that her campaign was clean and she's done nothing against the book. Since Loh has already filed an appeal, she wouldn't comment on the matter.

The Loh's camp claimed that at least 20 other addresses were changed at the last minute, almost all of them were Loh's supporters.

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From the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong

Liberal Candidate Wendy Yuan’s View on Rights Abuses against Falun Gong in China Consistent with Chinese Communist Party Line

CIPFG Calls on Dion to Reject Yuan’s view, and to affirm that party policy is to the contrary

Vancouver – At an all candidates debate organized by Chinese Radio AM 1320 in the Vancouver-Kingsway riding on October 4, 2008, Liberal Party candidate Wendy Yuan spoke of Liberal Party policy regarding the rights abuses against Falun Gong in China.

Ms. Yuan stated: "For Falun Gong, our policy is not to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs.” Aside from Ms. Yuan, all the other candidates spoke in favour of protecting the basic rights of Falun Gong practitioners.

Clive Ansley, chairman of the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG), is demanding that Liberal Party Leader Stephane Dion disassociate the Liberal Party from Ms. Yuan’s indefensible position which in effect holds that the torture, genocide, and mass murder of Falun Gong practitioners for the purpose of harvesting their organs is an internal Chinese issue, and that Liberal Party policy is to turn a blind eye toward these atrocities.

“Human Rights are universal and non-partisan,” said Mr. Ansley.

“It was shocking to hear from Ms. Yuan that the Liberal policy toward genocide, torture, and murder for the theft of organs is to cooperate with the Chinese Communist Party’s cover-up of its crimes. Under International Law, Human Rights abuses and Crimes Against Humanity can never be considered the internal affairs of any sovereign state. No state is permitted, under International Law, to violate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention Against Torture, or the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity. It is imperative that Stephan Dion, in the light of Ms. Yuan’s troubling statement, make absolutely clear whether the Liberal Party stands on the side of International Law or on the side of the Chinese Communist Party — the most prolific perpetrator of Crimes Against Humanity in this era.”

We have written to Dion and still await his reply,” said Lucy Zhou and Sue Zhang, Falun Dafa Association of Canada.

Posted by Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong to Vancouver-Kingsway 2008 at October 11, 2008 10:37 PM