On March 26, during a hearing of the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry and Technology, Michael Ma, Canadian Member of Parliament for Markham–Unionville, dismissed evidence of forced labor in China’s electric vehicle industry as “rumor.” He repeatedly pressed the witness, asking, “Did you see it with your own eyes?” and “Have you been there?” insisting on “yes or no” answers. Critics say this approach downplays the genocide of Uyghurs. Commentator Feng Zhiqiang criticized Ma for “blatantly defending the CCP’s human rights abuses and overturning common sense.” The Hong Kong–Canada Alliance condemned his remarks as severely harmful to Hong Kong immigrants, contrary to Canadian values, and questioned whether he remains qualified to advocate for Hong Kong people.
Witness questioning draws controversy
According to The Bureau, witness Margaret McQuigge-Johnston, with 37 years of federal public service experience, former senior positions in Natural Resources and Science departments, and a longtime senior researcher at the University of Ottawa, testified that some components used in Chinese electric vehicles come from aluminum produced through forced labor in China’s labor camps.
In response, MP Michael Ma repeatedly asked, “Did you personally see China’s ‘forced labor’?” “Have you been there?” “Just say yes or no!” The witness was stunned, glanced around at other committee members, and said: “No Westerner can enter China and see forced labor; they would never let you near those places.” Despite this, Ma pressed further for a definitive yes or no. After a four-second pause, he added, “So your testimony is from hearsay, right?” A female Conservative committee member apologized to the witness for Ma’s intimidating questioning, but he demanded that she apologize to him instead.
At the end of the hearing, McQuigge-Johnston handed Michael Ma a 2024 human rights report on China from an international monitoring organization. He refused to accept it, saying, “I don’t trust these reports; I need to see it with my own eyes.” Hours later, Ma issued an apology, stating that his questioning referred to the auto industry in southern Chinese cities like Shenzhen, not Xinjiang, and that he “did not intend to give the impression of disregarding the seriousness of forced labor,” while reiterating condemnation of “all forms” of forced labor. However, media coverage interpreted his remarks as addressing Xinjiang forced labor, and his questioning tone clearly appeared to favor the CCP’s human rights stance.
Chinese state media Observer Network quickly celebrated Ma’s performance as a propaganda victory, publishing articles attacking McQuigge-Johnston as a “so-called ‘expert’ repeatedly acting as an anti-China pawn,” and claiming forced labor accusations are “ridiculous lies fabricated by Western forces with ideological bias.” Luke de Purford, coordinator of the Parliamentary Alliance on China, immediately responded: “CCP state media is now praising MP Michael Ma’s attack on Margaret McQuigge-Johnston.”
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Feng Zhiqiang: Michael Ma shows his true colors in Parliament
Commentator Feng Zhiqiang noted that the “Shenzhen” Ma mentioned was widely misheard as “Xinjiang” in media reports, exposing his questioning tone as favoring the CCP’s human rights abuses. He pointed out: “Forced labor in Xinjiang has become a widely recognized basic fact about the CCP, as has the inhumane suppression of Falun Gong practitioners.” Feng said Ma sparked public anger; Parliament was “virtually in uproar.” MP Zhuang Wenhao, who had previously pushed legislation condemning Xinjiang forced labor, criticized Ma, while Liberal members tried to smooth over tensions, and the Prime Minister’s Office avoided commenting on whether his remarks reflected government policy.
Feng bluntly called Ma’s refusal to accept the human rights report and insistence on “seeing it with my own eyes” “extremely foolish.” He explained, “Seeing is believing—why question it?” Feng argued that Ma’s aggressive performance revealed his stance on China’s human rights abuses: “What does he want? He is blatantly defending the CCP’s human rights violations, audaciously overturning common sense.” He also noted that Ma’s questioning style “eerily mimics the arrogance of Peking University elites,” echoing the 2016 tone of Wang Yi when he asked a Canadian female journalist during his Canada visit: “Do you understand China? Have you been there?”
Regarding Ma’s political background, Feng noted that he was originally a Conservative MP and, in 2019, served as a director of the Chinese Canadian Conservative Association. In December 2025, he crossed to the Liberal Party and accompanied Prime Minister Carney on a visit to China. Feng said this shift “gave him fertile ground to show pro-CCP tendencies and behave recklessly.” He warned: “Any political party infiltrated by foreign forces is a victim itself. Once discovered, it must self-correct and purge corruption promptly. A party that ignores its own flaws risks being entirely compromised.”
Hong Kong–Canada alliance condemns and issues demands
The Hong Kong–Canada Alliance also issued a statement condemning Ma’s actions as directly violating a 2021 parliamentary motion recognizing relevant abuses as genocide.
The statement noted that, given the CCP’s strict restrictions on foreigners entering sensitive areas and intimidation of witnesses, Ma’s insistence on “first-hand” testimony effectively undermines the credibility of human rights evidence and evades accountability. His apology lacked sincerity, and his remarks are particularly harmful to Hong Kong permanent residents seeking refuge from political persecution, raising doubts about his ability to advocate for their rights in Parliament. “People who fled this regime to come to Canada may not trust an MP who amplifies Beijing-aligned rhetoric to safeguard their rights and dignity,” the statement said.
The Alliance emphasized that Canada must continue to serve as a refuge for the oppressed, not a platform to whitewash human rights violations. They proposed three measures:
- Supply Chain Management – The government must ensure sufficient resources to verify that goods entering Canada are not produced with forced labor.
- Counter Foreign Interference – Ensure the transparency registration system for foreign interventions works effectively and counter false information and political propaganda that denies China’s human rights abuses.
- Candidate Vetting – All parties must strengthen procedures to ensure candidates publicly commit to Canada’s human rights values and democratic principles.
The incident exposes deep divisions in Canadian politics over China’s human rights issues. Forced labor in Xinjiang has been independently confirmed by the UN, Human Rights Watch, the U.S. government, and multiple democratic countries using satellite imagery, leaked documents, survivor testimonies, and research reports, not just by a single witness. McQuigge-Johnston responded on social media: “Mr. Ma said he doesn’t believe it because it’s in a report. He wants to see it with his own eyes. I told him China would never let him see forced labor, but Human Rights Watch has staff on the ground.”
The Michael Ma incident occurred during a sensitive period as the Carney government adjusts its China trade policy. English-language media comment sections largely suspect foreign political interference in Ma’s actions. As a representative of Hong Kong democracy forces, the Alliance’s statement reflects broader public sentiment: Canada cannot compromise easily between human rights and economic interests. Going forward, the incident may prompt Parliament to strengthen foreign agent registration, supply chain due diligence, and candidate background vetting.
By Meng Hao
