Michael Chong

[Foreign Affairs, April 12th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, over the weekend, reports indicated the government threatened to cancel funding for the Halifax Security Forum if it awarded the John McCain Prize to Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen.

The government’s attempt to silence those critical of China is shameful and it is counterproductive because it plays right into the hands of China.

Will the government reverse its position, speak out for human rights democracy and the rule of law and support the John McCain Prize for President Tsai Ing-wen?

[Foreign Affairs, March 26th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, the government says that it likes to work multilaterally but often does not when given the chance.

In 2015, President Obama and Vice-President Biden asked the government not to join the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Now, several years later, it is clear President Biden was right about China's threats in Indo-Pacific, and Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor are paying the price.

Will the government admit it made a mistake, suspend these payments and withdraw from the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank ?

[Foreign Affairs, March 26th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I have a very simple question for the government.

At the same time as the trial of Mr. Spavor was taking place last Friday in northern China and at the same time as the trial of Mr. Kovrig was taking place in Beijing last Monday, the government transferred $40 million to the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, China's attempt to expand its influence throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

Why is the government not using every tool at its disposal, including the suspension of this payment, to secure the release of Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor?

[Anti-Asian Racism, March 26th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, there has been an alarming rise in discrimination and racism against Canadians of Asian descent. Asians have been attacked in public, yelled at, spit at and subjected to online hate and discrimination, just for being Asian.

It is clear that despite the tremendous progress we have made as Canadians in recent decades to combat racism and discrimination and to build a society where Canadians of all races, religions and creeds can live freely, more work needs to be done.

I am proud of being of Asian descent and proud of the contributions our community has made to the building of this country, including the sacrifices made in constructing the railway that laid the basis of the country through Confederation. I am proud of the contributions we continue to make in law, medicine, science; the arts, business and politics.

Let us all in this House and as Canadians come together to denounce this racism and discrimination, and to build a better Canada.

[Foreign Affairs, March 24th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, in light of these revelations, will the Prime Minister promise not to make the same mistakes that contributed to fuelling the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and that were inconsistent with Canada's interests and values in the region?

[Foreign Affairs, March 24th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, the documents also reveal something else troubling: The Liberal Party put its own self-interest first.

The documents reveal that when the foreign affairs minister met with his Turkish counterpart last September, the objective was not to discuss the Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict, and it was not to discuss Syria or other regional conflicts. It was to promote the Liberal Party and Liberal insiders. It was to promote Bill Morneau's candidacy for the OECD. Nineteen staff were put on this job.

Does the Prime Minister think it appropriate to put the Liberal Party's interests ahead of Canada's?

[Foreign Affairs, March 24th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, documents released last week by Global Affairs Canada paint a troubling picture of the naïveté of this government's foreign policy. After a bit of pressure was put on the government by the arms export lobby and by Turkish authorities, and after the government was told that these arms exports would be used for the defence of human rights, the government buckled and naively reversed its earlier decision and approved these arms exports to Turkey.

Will the Prime Minister now admit that this was a mistake?

[Foreign Affairs, March 12th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, last month, Parliament recognized that a genocide against Muslims is taking place in China. This week, a coalition of experts, including two former Liberal ministers of justice and a former Liberal minister of foreign affairs, concluded that a genocide is taking place. This week, the United States called out China at the United Nations for this genocide. Yesterday, Roméo Dallaire, who witnessed the Rwandan genocide, said a genocide is taking place and the government must act.

When will the government recognize that a genocide is taking place in China?

[Foreign Affairs, March 12th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, the government is not acting multilaterally. Last month, the FBI placed Russian oligarch Yevgeniy Prigozhin on its most wanted list for interfering in the 2016 U.S. election. Twitter released evidence that Prigozhin's Internet Research Agency has targeted Canada with thousands of disinformation tweets.

Oligarchs target Canada with disinformation, target members of the government and undermine our democracy, yet the government fails to sanction them. Why is the government not working multilaterally in joining our allies and applying Magnitsky sanctions on oligarchs like Prigozhin?

[Foreign Affairs, March 12th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, last week, the European Union and the United States announced sanctions against the Russians responsible for their repression of Alexei Navalny and protestors, yet Canada remained silent.

Human rights activist Vladimir Kara-Murza called Canada's reluctance baffling and inexplicable.

Why is the government not working with our allies to maintain rules-based international order?