Alice Wong

For the American disability activist, see Alice Wong (activist).

In this Hong Kong name, the surname is Wong. In accordance with Hong Kong custom, the Western-style name is Alice and the Chinese-style name is Siu-ping.

Alice Wong Chan Siu-ping PC (traditional Chinese: 黃陳小萍; simplified Chinese: 黄陈小萍; née Chan, born June 30, 1948) is a Canadian politician and a member of the Conservative Party who served as the member of Parliament (MP) for the electoral district of Richmond Centre from 2015 to 2021. She previously served as the MP for the Richmond riding from 2008 to 2015. In 2011, she was appointed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to be Minister of State for Seniors, becoming the first Chinese-Canadian woman to serve in the Cabinet of Canada. She served in that position until 2015.

The Honourable Alice Wong PC
黃陳小萍
Shadow Minister for Seniors
In office August 30, 2017 – September 8, 2020
Leader	Andrew Scheer Erin O'Toole
Shadowing	Jean-Yves Duclos Filomena Tassi Deb Schulte
Preceded by	Mark Warawa
Succeeded by	Rosemarie Falk
Shadow Minister for Small Business
In office November 20, 2015 – August 29, 2017
Leader	Rona Ambrose (interim) Andrew Scheer
Shadowing	Bardish Chagger
Preceded by	Brian Masse
Succeeded by	Dan Albas
Minister of State for Seniors
In office May 18, 2011 – November 4, 2015
Prime Minister	Stephen Harper
Preceded by	Julian Fantino
Succeeded by	Jean-Yves Duclos (Minister of Families, Children and Social Development)
Member of the Canadian Parliament for Richmond Centre Richmond (2008–2015)
In office October 14, 2008 – September 20, 2021
Preceded by	Raymond Chan
Succeeded by	Wilson Miao
Personal details
Born	(1948-06-30) June 30, 1948 (age 76) British Hong Kong
Political party	Conservative
Other political affiliations	Canadian Alliance (until 2003)
Spouse	Enoch Wong
Residence	Richmond, British Columbia
Profession	Educator entrepreneur
Website	alicewong.ca
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	黃陳小萍
Simplified Chinese	黄陈小萍
Transcriptions Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Wòhng Chàhn Síu-pìhng Jyutping Wong4 Can4 Siu2 Ping4

Early life

Wong immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong in 1980. She is a businesswoman and educator. She holds a 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.^[1]

Member of Parliament

Wong was first elected in 2008 in the riding of Richmond with 50% of the votes cast, compared to the incumbent Raymond Chan, who received 31%.^[2] In 2011, she was re-elected with 58% of the vote compared to 18% for her nearest rival.^[3] In 2015 she was re-elected in the riding of Richmond Centre with 44.2% of the vote compared to her nearest rival's 41.4%.^[4]

On May 18, 2011, Wong was appointed to Cabinet as Minister of State for Seniors.^[5] Reelected in 2015, she left the Cabinet as the Liberal Party gained a majority in the House of Commons.

She was re-elected in the 2019 federal election, but was excluded from new leader Erin O'Toole's Shadow Cabinet.^[6]

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.^[7]

Wong refused to play a role in the Canada Summer jobs program over the human rights statement supporting abortion and LGBT rights.^[8]

Abortion

Wong is anti-abortion, and is a volunteer for the Campaign Life Coalition, a national organization which opposes abortion, same-sex marriage and gender identity legislation.^[9]

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.^[10]

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."^[11]

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.^[12] 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".^[13]

Electoral record

v t e 2021 Canadian federal election: Richmond Centre
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Liberal	Wilson Miao	13,440	39.34	+10.87	$46,560.77
	Conservative	Alice Wong	12,668	37.08	–11.56	$106,375.38
	New Democratic	Sandra Nixon	6,196	18.14	+3.67	$7,576.20
	Green	Laura Gillanders	1,109	3.25	–2.87	$3,975.22
	People's	James Hinton	748	2.19	+0.80	None listed
Total valid votes/expense limit			34,161	100.00	–	$108,507.63
Total rejected ballots			340	0.99	+0.04
Turnout			34,501	46.22	–6.75
Eligible voters			74,640
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing		+11.22
Source: Elections Canada[14][15][16]

v t e 2019 Canadian federal election: Richmond Centre
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Conservative	Alice Wong	19,037	49.04	+4.84	$101,329.13
	Liberal	Steven Kou	11,052	28.47	-12.89	$86,522.82
	New Democratic	Dustin Innes	5,617	14.47	+2.97	$0.00
	Green	Françoise Raunet	2,376	6.12	+3.23	$2,308.51
	People's	Ivan Pak	538	1.39	–	$5,776.08
	Independent	Zhe Zhang	197	0.51	–	$184.60
Total valid votes/expense limit			38,817	99.05		$102,820.08
Total rejected ballots			371	0.95	+0.38
Turnout			39,188	52.97	-4.56
Eligible voters			73,975
	Conservative hold		Swing		+8.86
Source: Elections Canada[17][18]

v t e 2015 Canadian federal election: Richmond Centre
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Conservative	Alice Wong	17,622	44.21	-13.86	$154,059.88
	Liberal	Lawrence Woo	16,486	41.36	+22.61	$110,802.58
	New Democratic	Jack Trovato	4,602	11.54	-6.66	$11,679.42
	Green	Vincent Chiu	1,152	2.89	-2.10	$2,372.74
Total valid votes/expense limit			39,862	99.43		$202,743.02
Total rejected ballots			227	0.57	–
Turnout			40,089	57.53	–
Eligible voters			69,678
	Conservative hold		Swing		-18.23
Source: Elections Canada[19][20]

v t e 2011 Canadian federal election: Richmond Centre
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Conservative	Alice Wong	25,109	58.36	+8.59	$89,330.05
	Liberal	Joe Peschisolido	8,027	18.66	-12.19	$54,757.85
	New Democratic	Dale Jackaman	7,860	18.27	+6.46	$9,038.79
	Green	Michael Wolfe	2,032	4.72	-1.71	$2,933.09
Total valid votes/expense limit			43,028	100.0		$91,788.64
Total rejected ballots			220	0.51	+0.06
Turnout			43,248	50.97	+1
Eligible voters			84,855
	Conservative hold		Swing		+10.39

v t e 2008 Canadian federal election: Richmond Centre
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Conservative	Alice Wong	21,329	49.77	+11.08	$79,037
	Liberal	Raymond Chan	13,221	30.85	-11.98	$78,275
	New Democratic	Dale Jackaman	5,059	11.81	-2.17	$14,221
	Green	Michael Wolfe	2,754	6.43	+1.93	$1,900
	Independent	Wei Ping Chen	397	0.93	–	$6,851
	Independent	Dobie Yiu-Chung To	93	0.22	–	$1,813
Total valid votes/expense limit			42,878	100.0		$86,879
Total rejected ballots			192	0.45	0.01
Turnout			43,070	52	-4
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing		+11.53

v t e 2004 Canadian federal election: Richmond Centre
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Liberal	Raymond Chan	18,204	44.48	+2.44	$64,433
	Conservative	Alice Wong	14,457	35.32	-14.51	$71,614
	New Democratic	Dale Jackaman	6,142	15.00	+9.32	$11,072
	Green	Stephen H.F. Kronstein	1,743	4.25	+2.36	$160
	Canadian Action	Allan Warnke	376	0.91	–	$625
Total valid votes			40,922	100.0
Total rejected ballots			226	0.55	+0.08
Turnout			41,148	62.29	+0.59
	Liberal hold		Swing		+8.48

See also

• List of visible minority Canadian cabinet ministers
• List of visible minority politicians in Canada