QUESTION PERIOD — Foreign Affairs
Canada-China Relations
October 27, 2020
Honourable senators, my question is for the government leader in the Senate.
Senator Gold, last year we had China’s ambassador to Canada issue threats to the Senate of Canada. He warned us against passing the Magnitsky Act, which was calling upon holding the Chinese communist regime to account.
Last year I asked this same question to your predecessor, namely, if Global Affairs Canada, our Minister of Foreign Affairs and the government would call in the Chinese ambassador to highlight that that kind of behaviour and threats would not be acceptable.
Can you please confirm to this chamber whether the government did call in the ambassador at the time? And if they haven’t, why not?
Thank you for your question. I don’t have the answer to your specific question. However, as all senators know, the Government of Canada has been very clear and firm in rejecting the interventions of the Chinese ambassador with regard to a number of stands and positions that the government has taken, including statements by representative Bob Rae in the United Nations.
The Government of Canada continues to find it unacceptable that the two Michaels are treated as they are; continues to demand proper, equitable and compassionate treatment of other Canadians that are held in custody; and firmly and resolutely reaffirms our commitment to democratic values and, certainly here in the chamber, our right as parliamentarians to express these matters publicly and forcefully.
Government leader, these are all nice words, but perhaps if the Trudeau government would have taken the appropriate action at the time it was required, the ambassador wouldn’t have continued running around issuing new threats against Canadians, as he did just two weeks ago, threatening 300,000 Canadian citizens living in Hong Kong.
Rightfully, the Conservative Leader and Her Majesty’s Leader of the Official Opposition in the other house has asked that the ambassador publicly apologize. He has also made it clear that if the Chinese ambassador doesn’t apologize, he should be expelled.
Senator Gold, the Chinese ambassador continues to threaten Canadians and the Government of Canada. When will the government take action? When will they call him in? When will they accept that this is unacceptable? Will the government do it; yes or no?
As I stated, the government has been very clear that the actions, threats and statements by the Chinese ambassador are completely unacceptable. That has been made clear and will continue to be made clear.
