Liberal MP Michael Ma downplays reports on China using forced labour
· Toronto Sun
Liberal floor-crosser Michael Ma downplayed well-established reports of forced labour in China’s Xinjiang region on Thursday in an apparent attempt to discredit an expert witness on the topic at a House of Commons industry committee meeting.
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Ma launched a series of rapid-fire questions at Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, a senior fellow at the University of Ottawa and recognized as one of Canada’s preeminent commentators on Canada-China relations, who was testifying at the committee.
“Have you witnessed forced labour in Xinjiang? Have you witnessed forced labour? Just a short answer — have you witnessed forced labour in Xinjiang, yes or no?”” Ma demanded of McCuaig-Johnston, who is also a former senior public servant in the federal and Ontario governments.
Aggressive questioning about China
McCuaig-Johnston was clearly taken aback by Ma’s aggressive questioning as she testified that China uses slave labour from its minority Uyghur population in Xinjiang province in the production of Chinese-made vehicles.
Ma asked her if she was relying on “hearsay” in giving her testimony, prompting angry responses from Conservative MPs on the committee who accused him of ignoring numerous expert reports on forced labour and other human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
Ma countered that he was asking legitimate questions and not expressing any opinion on Chinese labour practices.
Asked later by a CBC reporter whether he believed there was forced labour in China, Ma said it goes on all over the world, but without citing China when he was asked about that specifically.
McCuaig-Johnston told The Canadian Press she was “kind of dumbfounded” by Ma’s questioning.
“I looked around the committee as if to say, ‘Is he kidding?’ Because no Westerner can go to China and see forced labour. They would never let you anywhere close to that,” she said.
Numerous human rights organizations have condemned China’s use of forced labour and other human rights violations. In February 2021, MPs from all parties voted 266 to 0 in the House of Commons to declare China’s treatment of its Uyghur minority population a genocide.
Elected as Conservative, crossed to Liberals
Ma was elected as a Conservative in the riding of Markham—Unionville in the April 2025 federal election before crossing the floor to the Liberals in December . He accompanied Prime Minister Mark Carney on his trip to China in January to forge a “new strategic partnership” with China.
The Commons industry committee is examining Carney’s deal that eliminated Ottawa’s 100% tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles and initially allow up to 49,000 Chinese-made EVs into the Canadian market, with a “most-favoured-nation” tariff rate of 6.1%.
In return China lowered its tariffs on Canadian canola seed from 85% to 15% along with reduced tariffs on canola meal, lobsters, crabs, and peas.