Hon. Leo Housakos: Honourable senators, in recent years, I’ve had the honour and pleasure of working with an extraordinary group of people who have fully committed themselves to defending the freedom and human rights of others. They do so not for their own benefit, but because it’s the right thing to do. As a matter of fact, at times, it has come at a personal cost, including threats and intimidation of not only themselves but also their loved ones.

Although based in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong Watch has done an extraordinary job reaching across global borders, including right here in Canada. Through their advocacy and community-engagement work, they strive to bridge the gap between newcomers from Hong Kong and the Canadian government and parliamentarians. They also publish original research and regularly update parliamentarians and government officials on the human rights situation.

In the past year, Hong Kong Watch has launched the Youth Initiative program, successfully advocated for Canada’s Hong Kong open work permit pathway, drawn attention to and asked for Canadian pension funds to divest from Chinese companies linked to human rights violations and advocated for Canada to hold accountable Hong Kong and Chinese officials responsible for human rights abuses.

Hong Kong Watch also continues to urge the government to expand and extend the “lifeboat” scheme Stream B path to permanent residency and waive police certificate requirements that continue to create obstacles for Hong Kongers wishing to move to Canada.

When it comes to the safety of the growing Hong Kong community in Canada, Hong Kong Watch continues to raise cases of threats and intimidation by the Chinese Communist Party, including urging the government to adopt a foreign agent registry and a reporting hotline.

With an estimated 50,000 Hong Kongers having landed in Canada over the past two years, including Hong Kong Canadians returning home to Canada, and with many more expected to arrive in the coming months and years, Hong Kong Watch is expanding its mission of defending fundamental freedoms and human rights, and speaking up for Hong Kong Canadians who face intimidation and threats from the Chinese Communist Party right here on Canadian soil.

With that, it’s my honour to announce the launch of Hong Kong Watch Canada. The official launch is happening at a parliamentary reception this evening, to which you’re all invited. I really encourage you to come by and say hello. It’s an opportunity to meet the Hong Kong Watch team, including our friends from across the pond, Ben Rogers and Sam Goodman, who are here today; as well as the members of the new Canadian chapter: Max Wu; Katherine Leung; Aileen Calverley; and former Miss World Canada, Anastasia Lin.

Colleagues, I again encourage you to join us this evening. Until then, I will close my remarks today with a quote from one of this evening’s hosts, Ms. Calverley:

Our fight against authoritarianism is not only advocacy work for a faraway place done from a distance. It has reached the shores of Canada and is impacting the lives of Canadians. I am tremendously grateful for the support from parliamentarians from all sides in our work. I am pleased and excited to officially launch the Canadian chapter of Hong Kong Watch – it is important work and it is time to do so.

Thank you, colleagues.