Carney Keeps Ma in Caucus, Pushing Transparency

Prime Minister Mark Carney just confirmed that liberal MP Michael Ma stays in the party

caucus after apologizing for questioning claims of forced labor in Chinese

electric vehicles. Last week Ma challenged a witness at a House Committee who

cited reports on aluminum from Weeger forced labor in dozens of EB parts.

Carney made the call during a Toronto event on housing. Reports from Human Rights

Watch and United Nations experts highlight ongoing forced labor concerns

involving Weegers, Kazaks, Kiergez, and Tibetans in China's Sinjong region.

Back in 2021, Canada's House of Commons unanimously recognized genocide by

China against Weegers and other Turkic Muslims. Carney noted evidence of child

and forced labor worldwide. Stressing Canadian firms must follow supply chain

laws here. Carney dodged specifics on China's practices but said high-risk areas

like parts of China demand extra checks. He's pushing transparency for all

trade partners. Meanwhile, after a U.S. court ruling, American trade officials

launched probes into 60 economies, including Canada, over week bands on forced

labor, imports. Finance Minister Francois Philippe Champagne heads to China this

week, building on Carney's January Beijing trip, the first by Canadian PM in eight years.

That deal opened doors for 49,000 Chinese EBs yearly at a 6.1 percent

tariff, swapped for easier Canola exports. Supply chain integrity, including

labor standards, tops the agenda. Carney's keeping lines open with Ma and trade

partners alike, betting on talks to clean up those global chains without

slamming the bricks on deals. This has been Canada News Today, powered by AI.