Carney standing by candidate Paul Chiang, who suggested Conservative be turned over to China for bounty
CBC
Liberal Leader Mark Carney says Paul Chiang will remain a candidate under his banner, despite calls to drop the Markham-Unionville incumbent for suggesting people turn in a Conservative candidate to the Chinese consulate and collect a bounty.
"I view this a teachable moment," Carney said during a campaign stop in Vaughan, Ont., Monday.
Carney is facing external pressure to drop Chiang after he told a Chinese-language media news conference in January that people could cash in if they turned Joe Tay in to the Chinese consulate in Toronto. Tay is running for the Conservatives in the suburban Toronto battleground riding of Don Valley North.
In December, Hong Kong police issued a bounty and arrest warrant for Tay — worth $1 million HK, roughly $184,000 — and other China democracy advocates. Tay is a co-founder of Canada-based NGO HongKonger Station and runs a YouTube channel that promotes democracy and free speech.
The warrants are largely seen as a way for authorities in Beijing-controlled Hong Kong to target vocal critics based abroad. At the time, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly denounced the bounties.
Carney called the comments "deeply offensive," but defended Chiang as a veteran police officer "with more than a quarter-century of service to his community."
Tay has spoken out, calling the comments "insidious" and saying he now fears for his safety.
"His threatening public comments were intended to intimidate me, and they must not be tolerated," Tay said in a statement Monday.
"They are intended to send a chilling signal to the entire community in order to force compliance to Beijing's political goals."
Tay said even before Chiang's comments, he had been in touch with the RCMP about personal protection.
"Suggesting that people collect a bounty from the Chinese Communist Party to deliver a political opponent to the Chinese Consulate is disgusting and must never be condoned," he wrote.
Chiang issued an apology Friday, saying his comments "were deplorable and a complete lapse of judgment on the seriousness of the matter."
Carney faced multiple questions from reporters about Chiang during his Monday morning housing announcement. He said Chiang has apologized directly to Tay.
However, Tay characterized it as an "unsolicited attempt to contact me."
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