The Canadian federal election is set to take place on 28 April, following the dissolution of Parliament. The federal election includes 343 district elections across Canada, with the party with the most candidates winning seats forming the government. You can find your electoral district [here](https://www.elections.ca/scripts/vis/FindED?L=e&PAGEID=20).
In anticipation of the federal election, Vote for Hong Kong (Vote4HK) Canada published a [briefing](https://www.hongkongwatch.org/s/VOTE4HK-Canada_-Priorities-of-Hong-Kongers-in-Canada-for-the-Federal-Election.pdf) on the priorities of Hong Kongers in Canada for the upcoming federal election. This follows four months of research and analysis into the policy priorities of the Hong Kong community in Canada.
The top three issues identified by survey respondents include:
* Waiting time for visa or permanent residency approval (72%)
* Cost of living (40.6%)
* Employment opportunities for oneself or family members (27%)
The top three policy priorities identified by survey respondents include:
* Expediting the processing of permanent residency applications (84.3%)
* Combating community crimes (74.2%)
* Combating the overseas surveillance, harassment, or intimidation of dissidents by the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong governments (65.6%)
The briefing also includes analysis into how the Hong Konger population is dispersed throughout the provinces and territories of Canada and identifies federal electoral districts with significant Hong Konger populations that could determine the outcome of the federal election.
We would like to thank the Hong Kong Watch volunteers across Canada whose efforts made this project possible.
The Vote4HK Canada initiative is inspired by Vote4HK UK, with whom Hong Kong Watch has collaborated to encourage British National (Overseas) Hong Kongers to meet with their local candidates and learn about the different political parties leading up to the 2024 UK general election. At the encouragement of Vote4HK UK, Hong Kong Watch undertook a similar initiative in Canada to engage the Hong Kong diaspora in understanding and participating in the Canadian political landscape.