Floor-crossing Liberal MP apologizes for behaviour in committee meeting about Chinese EVs

progressive MP Michael Ma is veneer unfavorable judgment for an strong-growing go down of questions at a parliamentary committee where he appeared to downplay forced labour in China. 

While Ma, in a statement issued late Thursday, said he apologized to the witness, he also said opposition MPs and journalists misheard the name of the region of China he was talking about. 

"I condemn forced labour, in all its forms," said the statement. "Canada has amongst the most rigorous forced-labour import laws in the world, and I am proud to support the government’s work to eradicate forced labour from supply chains and enforce Canada's import prohibition."

The criticism stemmed from a series of questions to expert witness Margaret McCuaig-Johnson at the industry committee. The committee is studying the federal government's electric vehicle policies, and it recently announced it would accept some Chinese electric vehicles into the country at a lower tariff rate. 

The deal has sparked some criticism, particularly from the Conservative opposition. 

McCuaig-Johnston is a senior fellow at the University of Ottawa who served as a federal assistant deputy minister and holds a master's degree in international relations focused on China. 

Ma asked her a series of rapid-fire yes or no questions that appeared to seek to undermine her expertise as well as allegations of human rights violations against China.

Liberal MP asks committee expert if she has witnessed forced labour in China

He asked her if she holds an advanced degree in cybersecurity — she does not — whether an institute she's affiliated with looks for risks in China where there are none, and finally, whether she personally has witnessed forced labour in Shenzhen.

"Have you witnessed this yourself?" he asked. "Have you been there, ever?"

"I've been to China many times since 1979," said McCuaig-Johnston.

"Just a short answer. Have you witnessed forced labour in Shenzhen? Yes or no," said Ma. "Did you get it from hearsay?"

She responded by saying she works closely with Human Rights Watch where researchers did witness it.

Ma later clarified the record to say he was talking about Shenzhen, a major Chinese automobile manufacturing hub. 

After the hearing, McCuaig-Johnston posted on X that she had given Ma a copy of the Human Rights Watch report "Asleep at the Wheel," which details the use of aluminum produced in Xinjiang for Chinese electric vehicles.

In 2021, Canada's Parliament declared China's treatment of  Uyghurs in Xinjiang, including forced labour, as "genocide"  in a motion that passed with the support of all opposition parties and some members of the Liberal Party.

Similar statements were passed by the U.K., United States and Netherlands governments. 

Canada has imposed sanctions over China's human rights abuses.

As recently as this year, United Nations experts have expressed  "deep concern regarding persistent allegations of forced labour"  affecting minority groups, including Uyghurs, in Xinjiang. 

"I believe there is forced labour around the world," he said, refusing to say it happens in China specifically. 

Ma declined further comment. The Markham-Unionville MP made headlines late last year, when he left the Conservative caucus to join the governing Liberals. 

In a statement, his office said he was using a "common CPC tactic" of asking short yes or no questions to a witness "in order to control the flow of the dialogue."

"It was a stupid question on his part, frankly," she said. "I think he was overall trying to undermine what I might say on forced labour, which is too bad to see, because the government itself has brought in very strong legislation on forced labour."

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