Province apologizes for Chinese Head Tax  

Premier Danny Williams made a formal apology on behalf of Newfoundland and Labrador today to the province�s Chinese community for the head tax imposed on Chinese immigrants by the Dominion of Newfoundland between 1906 and 1949.  

 �The collection of the head tax placed on Chinese immigrants entering the province was clearly discriminatory, and created both economic and emotional hardship for Chinese immigrants at that time,� said Premier Williams. �On behalf of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador , I would like to offer a sincere apology to all member of the Chinese community of Newfoundland and Labrador for what many of their ancestors were forced to endure by this unnecessary levy.�   

The Premier said that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador applauds the action taken on June 22 by the Government of Canada in apologizing for the Chinese Canadian Head Tax and the Chinese Exclusion Act.  He noted that while the current provincial government does not assume legal or financial liability in relation to the imposition of the head tax by the government of the Dominion of Newfoundland, it recognizes and apologizes for the hardships visited upon these immigrants and their descendants by the Dominion of Newfoundland�s head tax imposed by the Chinese Immigration Act. �We sincerely hope that this acknowledgment of past discrimination will help provide solace and support reconciliation and healing for all individuals affected,� said Premier Williams.  

�The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador recognizes the valuable contribution that the Chinese community has made to the cultural, social and economic development of this province, and wishes to express its profound gratitude to this community for enriching Newfoundland and Labrador ,� said Premier Williams.   

Wednesday, May 10, 2006 , marked the 100th anniversary of the Act Respecting the Immigration of Chinese Persons which imposed a $300 head tax on each Chinese person entering Newfoundland between May 10, 1906 , and March 31, 1949 . Chinese immigrants first arrived in Newfoundland around 1895 and went to work in traditional resource industries.  Some Newfoundlanders and Labradorian�s viewed them as a threat to employment, given their willingness to work for lower wages.  In response to increasing public pressure against further Chinese immigrants entering Newfoundland , government introduced the Chinese Immigration Act.  

 �We sincerely hope all Chinese Canadians understand just how important and appreciated their contributions are to both their province and country.  Again, we also hope these apologies bring some sense of closure, and we thank those individuals who have brought this issue to the fore and worked to rectify this injustice� Premier Williams concluded.  

Media contact: Elizabeth Matthews, Communications, (709) 729-3960 , 351-1227 , elizabethmatthews@gov.nl.ca