Ontario MPP Raises the Issue of Falun Gong in the Provincial Parliament for the First Time

[Minghui Net] In the process of clarifying the truth of the Falun Gong issue to different levels of government in Canada, Toronto practitioners have put emphasis on the Federal Government in the past and have achieved good results. Many Members of Parliament have extended their support through various means. Recently Toronto practitioners have started to do more detailed work with the Ontario Provincial Government and the Toronto Municipal Government.

Practitioners have made efforts to contact the members of the Provincial Parliament (MPP) by setting up appointments to inform them that the Falun Gong issue is not only a matter of foreign affairs, but also a problem to which all levels of Government should pay attention. Many MPPs have expressed their support for Falun Gong. On May 13 of this year, one MPP attended our celebration event in Toronto and witnessed over a thousand participants showing their support for Falun Gong and "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." Greatly moved by what he saw, he decided to learn the 5 sets of Falun Gong exercises. Last weekend, this MPP went to Allen Garden, Toronto and learned and practiced the five sets of exercises with local Falun Gong practitioners. He also took the initiative to speak on the issue of Falun Gong in the Provincial Parliament in order to further raise awareness of Falun Gong in that institution.

On May 31, 2001, he specifically raised the issue of Falun Gong in the House sitting of the Ontario Provincial Parliament, and expressed his great concern over the fact that the Chinese (Jiang Zemin) regime has been harassing and threatening by telephone Canadian Falun Gong practitioners on Canadian soil. He also requested that the Provincial Government pay more attention and offer more help in this matter. He is the first MPP in Canada who has officially raised the issue of Falun Gong in the Provincial Parliament when the House was sitting. He is also the first MPP who openly learned the Falun Gong exercises.

In his speech to the Provincial Parliament, he first mentioned the fact that Falun Gong (also called Falun Dafa), a peaceful, healthy, and popular meditation exercise of body, mind and spirit, has benefited thousands of Canadians as well as millions of people in the world. The fundamental values of Falun Gong, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, are really common core values shared by Canadians in Ontario--values which now are being challenged by the interference from Chinese Consulate officers in Toronto and Ottawa. As local newspapers reported, a rally was organized to condemn Canadian Falun Gong practitioners and the Chinese consul general was the primary speaker. A Canadian lawyer has written to the Attorney General of Ontario for an investigation. He then requested the Attorney General and the Minister of Citizenship to take action on this matter. Also, he formally introduced the invited Falun Gong representatives to the Provincial Government. He received heartfelt applause from all of the sitting MPPs and all participants of the House.

Afterwards, this MPP went on to introduce Falun Gong practitioners to the Minister of Citizenship. When shaking hands with Falun Gong practitioners, the Minister promised to look into the matter of their harassment. Also present that day were some special guests invited by the Ontario Government--a Chinese Government Delegation.