MP's Xinjiang Labor Grilling Sparks Controversy

0:00Liberal MP Michael Ma sparked controversy at a House of Commons industry committee by aggressively questioning an expert on forced labor in China's Xinjiang region. The exchange happened during testimony from Margaret McQuague Johnston, a top commentator on Canada, China ties and former senior official. Ma repeatedly asked if she had personally witnessed forced labor there, seeming the challenge well-documented reports on Uyghur abuses tied to electric. Vehicle production McQuague Johnston explained that China relies on slave labor from its Uyghur minority for making vehicles, drawn from extensive evidence. Ma pressed if her info was just hearsay, which drew sharp pushback from conservative members who said he was dismissing years of human rights reports. Committee members reacted with frustration, while Ma insisted he was just asking fair questions without taking sides on China's practices. Later, McQuague Johnston called the grilling dumb-founding, noting no outsider gets access to see such operations firsthand.

1:01This played out as the committee reviews Prime Minister Mark Carney's new trade deal with China. Its scraps auto was 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles, allowing up to 49,000 imports at a 6.1%. In exchange, China cuts tariffs on Canadian canola from 85% to 15%, plus eased ones on meal, lobster, crab, and peas. Ma, once a conservative elected in Markham Unionville in April 2025, switched to the liberals in December and joined Carney's January. Trip to China for this partnership. The hearing highlights tensions over human rights and economic ties as talks continue. Toronto News Today, powered by AI bringing you what matters. I'm Corey with The Story.