View source for Alice Wong

{{short description|Canadian politician}}
{{for|the American disability activist|Alice Wong (activist)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{family name hatnote|Wong|Alice|Siu-ping|lang=Hong Kong}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix    = [[The Honourable]]
| name                = Alice Wong
| native_name         = {{nobold|黃陳小萍}}
| native_name_lang    = zh-hant
| image_size          = 
| honorific-suffix    = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|PC|size=100%}}
| image               = Scheer and Alice Wong (cropped).jpg
| office              = [[Minister of Seniors|Shadow Minister for Seniors]]
| leader              = [[Andrew Scheer]]<br />[[Erin O'Toole]]
| 1blankname          = Shadowing
| 1namedata           = [[Jean-Yves Duclos]]<br />[[Filomena Tassi]]<br />[[Deb Schulte]]
| term_start          = August 30, 2017
| term_end            = September 8, 2020
| predecessor         = [[Mark Warawa]]
| successor           = [[Rosemarie Falk]]
| office1             = [[Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade|Shadow Minister for Small Business]]
| leader1             = [[Rona Ambrose]] (interim)<br />[[Andrew Scheer]]
| 1blankname1         = Shadowing
| 1namedata1          = [[Bardish Chagger]]
| term_start1         = November 20, 2015
| term_end1           = August 29, 2017
| predecessor1        = [[Brian Masse]]
| successor1          = [[Dan Albas]]
| office2             = [[Minister of Seniors|Minister of State for Seniors]]
| primeminister2      = [[Stephen Harper]]
| term_start2         = May 18, 2011
| term_end2           = November 4, 2015
| predecessor2        = [[Julian Fantino]]
| successor2          = [[Jean-Yves Duclos]] (Minister of Families, Children and Social Development)
| office3             = Member of the [[Parliament of Canada|Canadian Parliament]]<br />for [[Richmond Centre (federal electoral district)|Richmond Centre]]<br />[[Richmond (British Columbia federal electoral district)|Richmond]] (2008–2015)
| term_start3         = October 14, 2008
| term_end3           = September 20, 2021
| predecessor3        = [[Raymond Chan (politician)|Raymond Chan]]
| successor3          = [[Wilson Miao]]
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1948|6|30}}
| birth_place         = [[British Hong Kong]]
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| party               = [[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]]
| otherparty          = [[Canadian Alliance]] (until 2003)
| spouse              = Enoch Wong
| residence           = [[Richmond, British Columbia]]
| profession          = {{hlist|Educator|entrepreneur}}
| website             = {{URL|http://alicewong.ca/}}
| footnotes           = 
| module              = {{Infobox Chinese|child=yes|
  |c                 = 
  |t                 = 黃陳小萍
  |s                 = 黄陈小萍
  |y                 = Wòhng Chàhn Síu-pìhng
  |j                 = Wong<sup>4</sup> Can<sup>4</sup> Siu<sup>2</sup> Ping<sup>4</sup>
  }}
}}

'''Alice Wong Chan Siu-ping''' {{post-nominals|country=CAN|PC}} ({{zh|t=黃陳小萍}}; ''{{nee}}'' '''Chan''', born June 30, 1948) is a Canadian politician and a member of the [[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative Party]] who served as the [[Member of Parliament (Canada)|member of Parliament]] (MP) for the [[Electoral district (Canada)|electoral district]] of [[Richmond Centre (federal electoral district)|Richmond Centre]] from 2015 to 2021. She previously served as the MP for the [[Richmond (British Columbia federal electoral district)|Richmond]] riding from 2008 to 2015. In 2011, she was appointed by [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]] [[Stephen Harper]] to be Minister of State for Seniors, becoming the first [[List of visible minority Canadian cabinet ministers|Chinese-Canadian]] woman to serve in the [[Cabinet of Canada]]. She served in that position until 2015.

==Early life==

Wong immigrated to [[Canada]] from [[Hong Kong]] in 1980. She is a businesswoman and educator. She holds a [[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]] in Instruction and Curriculum from the [[University of British Columbia]] and worked as the manager of international programs at [[Kwantlen Polytechnic University]]. She also has taught ESL and entrepreneurship classes at [[Vancouver Community College]] where she founded the Centre for Small Business at VCC, which offered the first bilingual small business management classes for immigrants. Wong has also operated a consulting firm specializing in research and education.

She has served on the boards of various community organizations including the [[Rotary Club]] of Richmond, Rosewood Manor in Richmond, Benevolent Relief Seniors Care Society, Ethno Business Council, Chiu Chow Benevolent Association, and the Women's Enterprise Society of BC. She is a guest host on local Chinese and multicultural radio and television. Wong founded the Richmond Greenspace Society to promote green space in urban settings, improving passport office efficiency, raising funds to improve the safety of senior pedestrians, and raising funds for the [[Sichuan]] earthquake relief. She has been married to her husband Enoch since 1982.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Alice Wong. |url=https://alicewong.ca/about-alice-wong/ |website=Hon. Alice Wong, P.C. |access-date=12 August 2024}}</ref>

==Member of Parliament==

Wong was first elected in [[2008 Canadian federal election|2008]] in the riding of [[Richmond (British Columbia federal electoral district)|Richmond]] with 50% of the votes cast, compared to the incumbent Raymond Chan, who received 31%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bc.ctvnews.ca/wong-fry-among-winners-in-b-c-battlegrounds-1.333792|title=Wong, Fry among winners in B.C. battlegrounds|publisher=CTV News|date=October 15, 2008|access-date=2017-05-28}}</ref> In [[2011 Canadian federal election|2011]], she was re-elected with 58% of the vote compared to 18% for her nearest rival.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/121130899.html|title=Conservatives sweep Richmond ridings|work=Richmond Review|publisher=BCLocalNews.com|date=May 3, 2011|access-date=2017-05-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110508040230/http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/121130899.html|archive-date=May 8, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> In [[2015 Canadian federal election|2015]] she was re-elected in the riding of [[Richmond Centre (federal electoral district)|Richmond Centre]] with 44.2% of the vote compared to her nearest rival's 41.4%.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.elections.ca/res/rep/off/ovr2015app/41/9809e.html|title=Official Voting Results|website=www.elections.ca|language=en-ca|access-date=2017-11-17}}</ref>

On May 18, 2011, Wong was appointed to Cabinet as [[Minister of State (Canada)|Minister of State for Seniors]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.straight.com/article-393209/vancouver/stephen-harpers-new-cabinet-includes-metro-vancouvers-alice-wong-james-moore|title=Stephen Harper's new cabinet includes Metro Vancouver's Alice Wong, James Moore|work=The Georgia Straight|date=May 18, 2011|access-date=2017-05-28}}</ref> Reelected in [[2015 Canadian federal election|2015]], she left the Cabinet as the [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal Party]] gained a majority in the House of Commons.

She was re-elected in the [[2019 Canadian federal election|2019 federal election]], but was excluded from new leader [[Erin O'Toole]]'s Shadow Cabinet.<ref>{{cite web |last1=O'Toole |first1=Erin |title=It's time to take another look at the Conservative Party. Meet our Shadow Cabinet. We are here to fight for you and your family. |url=https://twitter.com/erinotoole/status/1303302417577119744 |website=Twitter |publisher=@erinotoole |access-date=14 September 2020}}</ref>

Wong was defeated in the [[2021 Canadian federal election]], losing Richmond Centre to Liberal [[Wilson Miao]]. Her defeat was considered a major upset, primarily caused by the unpopularity of the conservatives among [[Chinese Canadians]].

==Political views==
In the fall of 2012, Alice Wong stated that the government's top priorities focuses on job creation, economic growth and long-term prosperity.<ref>{{cite web |date=October 11, 2012 |title=Helping 1,600 Canadians with disabilities getting jobs |url=http://alicewong.ca/2012/10/11/helping-1600-canadians-with-disabilities-getting-jobs/ |access-date=2012-10-19 |work=Alice Wong, MP website}}</ref>

Wong refused to play a role in the Canada Summer jobs program over the human rights statement supporting abortion and LGBT rights.<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/alice-wong-summer-job-grants-attestation-1.4605632 cbc.ca] CBC News, April 6, 2018.</ref>

=== Abortion ===
Wong is [[Anti-abortion movements|anti-abortion]], and is a volunteer for the [[Campaign Life Coalition]], a national organization which opposes abortion, [[Same-sex marriage in Canada|same-sex marriage]] and [[gender identity]] legislation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Campaign Life Coalition |date=June 28, 2022 |title=Candidate, Alice Wong: CLC rating: Pro-life, pro-family |url=https://www.voteprolife.ca/find/view/id/303/name/alice-wong |access-date=June 22, 2022 |website=Campaign Life Coalition}}</ref>

Wong voted in support of Bill C-233 - An Act to amend the ''Criminal Code'' ([[sex-selective abortion]]), which would restrict abortion access, making it a criminal offence for a medical practitioner to knowingly perform an abortion solely on the grounds of the child's genetic sex.<ref>{{Cite web |last=House of Commons |date=June 2, 2021 |title=2nd reading of Bill C-233, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sex-selective abortion) |url=https://www.ourcommons.ca/Members/en/votes/43/2/125?view=result |website=LEGISinfo}}</ref>

[[Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada]] has identified Wong's stance as anti-abortion.

=== Conversion therapy ===
On June 22, 2021, Wong was one of 63 MPs to vote against Bill C-6, An Act to amend the ''Criminal Code'' (conversion therapy), which was ultimately passed by majority vote, making certain aspects of conversion therapy a crime, including "causing a child to undergo conversion therapy."<ref>{{Cite web |last=House of Commons |date=June 22, 2021 |title=3rd reading and adoption of Bill C-6, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (conversion therapy) |url=https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en/votes/43/2/175?view=result |access-date=June 28, 2022 |website=LEGISinfo}}</ref>

=== Environment ===
Her environmental platform has been criticized by the opposition for her views regarding [[shark fin soup]] because she was seen publicly eating the soup at a news conference in October 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/ndp-criticizes-tory-mp-for-eating-shark-fin-soup-1.1189109|title=NDP criticizes Tory MP for eating shark fin soup|publisher=CBC News|date=October 13, 2012|access-date=2017-05-28}}</ref> Many environmentalists condemn the process of [[shark finning]]. She said in a statement, "If a product such as shark fin is derived from a legal, humane and sustainable harvest, we see no basis to restrict its trade".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/shark-fin-soup-mp-alice-wong-ban-chinese_n_1964255|title=Shark Fin Soup Enjoyed By MP Alice Wong For Chinese Media|publisher=Huffington Post|date=October 13, 2012|access-date=2021-09-10}}</ref>

==Electoral record==
{{2021 Canadian federal election/Richmond Centre}}
{{2019 Canadian federal election/Richmond Centre}}
{{2015 Canadian federal election/Richmond Centre}}
{{2011 Canadian federal election/Richmond Centre}}
{{2008 Canadian federal election/Richmond Centre}}
{{2004 Canadian federal election/Richmond Centre}}

==See also==
*[[List of visible minority Canadian cabinet ministers]]
*[[List of visible minority politicians in Canada]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://alicewong.ca/ Alice Wong] official site
*{{Canadian Parliament links| parliament = 170326 | parlinfo = 17255 | openparl = alice-wong}}

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{{ministry box cabinet posts
| post1         = [[Minister of Seniors|Minister of State for Seniors]]
| post1years    = 2011–2015
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| post1preceded = [[Julian Fantino]]
| post1followed = [[Filomena Tassi]]
}}
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{{Harper Ministry}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wong, Alice}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from British Columbia]]
[[Category:Canadian Christians]]
[[Category:Canadian women in business]]
[[Category:Women members of the House of Commons of Canada]]
[[Category:Conservative Party of Canada MPs]]
[[Category:Hong Kong emigrants to Canada]]
[[Category:Members of the 28th Canadian Ministry]]
[[Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from British Columbia]]
[[Category:Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada]]
[[Category:Naturalized citizens of Canada]]
[[Category:People from Chaozhou]]
[[Category:People from Richmond, British Columbia]]
[[Category:University of British Columbia Faculty of Education alumni]]
[[Category:Women in British Columbia politics]]
[[Category:Women government ministers of Canada]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian women politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada]]