Latest news with #Genuis
Epoch Times
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
‘Gravely Wrong': Tory MP Condemns Hong Kong Police Targeting Relatives of Canadian Activist and Candidate Joe Tay
Conservative MP Garnett Genuis is voicing concern over reports that the Hong Kong police detained the relatives of Conservative candidate and pro-democracy advocate Joe Tay for questioning last week, saying the incident is consistent with tactics used by the Chinese regime to silence dissent abroad. The comments made by Genuis during a recent interview with The Epoch Times come on the heels of 'It is gravely wrong. It is an act of brazen interference,' Genuis said, referring to the Hong Kong police ' s questioning of Tay's relatives. 'It's also consistent with a pattern that we ' ve seen from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is to try to interfere in our democracy, in our affairs, through whatever means they can.' Conservative MP Garnett Genuis for the riding of Sherwood Park-Fort Saskatchewan on May 9, 2025. The Epoch Times Tay, who ran as a Conservative candidate in the recent federal election, is an outspoken pro-democracy activist wanted by Hong Kong authorities, who have issued international bounties for him and several other activists. Tay was the Tay faces a HK$1 million (approximately CA$180,000) bounty issued by Hong Kong authorities, who Related Stories 5/8/2025 4/22/2025 His case gained national attention during the election campaign when Targets of Beijing The Chinese regime has previously targeted the relatives of its critics in Canada. A prominent case is that of Tory MP Michael Chong, a long-time critic of China's human rights abuses, who was That same year, the Conservative Party and its then-leader, Erin O'Toole, were targeted by a Beijing-linked disinformation campaign during the election period, which spread false content through Chinese-language media outlets. The targeting was likely due to the party ' s critical stances toward Beijing, according to O'Toole. Genuis said the Conservative party has many times been the target of foreign interference due to its advocacy for freedom and human rights internationally. 'This is consistent with their pattern; nobody should be surprised that the CCP acts this way. This is who they are and this is who they've always been,' he said. 'So our response to them needs to be informed by a realism that recognizes that.' Genuis noted he himself has been the target of foreign interference. He was among 18 parliamentarians critical of Beijing who were The issue of MPs not being warned by the federal government about attempts by the Chinese regime to interfere, along with intelligence leaks in the media, eventually led Ottawa to launch a public inquiry into foreign interference. That inquiry ultimately identified the Chinese regime as the foremost foreign interference threat to Canada, according to its final 'At the time of writing this report, the People's Republic of China (PRC) is the most active perpetrator of foreign interference targeting Canada's democratic institutions,' said the Jan. 28 final report by Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue of the Foreign Interference Commission. The report also noted that Beijing's interference in Canada targets all levels of government regardless of party affiliation. 'It supports those it believes helpful to its interests at the time, and those it believes are likely to have power, no matter their political party,' reads the document. Tay's Case 'Resonated' Genuis says Tay's case highlighted the growing threat of transnational repression in Canada and helped bring the issue to wider public attention. '[Tay's case] was a problem that resonated with so many people from distant communities, from the Persian community, the Chinese community, Tibetan community, many communities, because they know that this happens to many people, and most of the stories don ' t make headlines, but this one did, and it brought attention to the problem,' Genuis said. He added that many may still be unaware of the issue of transnational repression and the threats some dissidents can face from foreign actors for speaking out abroad. Joe Tay, a singer and actor who moved from Hong Kong to Canada, is seen in a file photo. He was running for the Conservative Party in the Ontario riding of Don Valley North Courtesy of Joe Tay 'This may be new information for a lot of Canadians to just really understand that [some] people, even when they speak up here in Canada, on Canadian soil—where they should have the protections of a presence in Canada and of Canadian citizenship—are still often threatened,' he said. 'They have their families threatened, and so it takes great courage to speak up.' Genuis argues the need to address transnational repression was reflected in the outcome of the federal election, with particular communities supporting the Tories due to their stance on the issue. 'The Conservative party still did quite well in some of the parts of the Greater Toronto Area where there ' s large concentrations of communities that are targeted by foreign interference,' he said. 'I think that's good news.' Ahead of the April 28 election, the federal parties laid out their The Conservative Party said it would 'take foreign interference and transnational repression seriously.' It pledged to ensure the RCMP can fulfill its mandate, including combating transnational repression and foreign interference, and said it would 'heed the advice' of Canada's national security experts. The Liberal Party said leader Mark Carney would build on former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's efforts to combat foreign interference. It called foreign interference 'one of the most serious threats facing Canadians and Canadian institutions,' and promised to expand security efforts, including hiring 1,000 more RCMP officers. Ottawa adopted Genuis said that while Canadians are becoming more aware of these threats, there is more work to do on the national security front. He likened foreign interference to the game 'Whac-A-Mole,' because 'as you try to knock one thing down, there's going to be a new thing that pops up that you have to have to deal with.' 'So we're always going to have to adapt as these threats adapt,' Genuis said. 'But the basic requirement is that we have leaders and politicians that are prioritizing that response, trying to protect themselves and the public.' Noé Chartier contributed to this report.
Epoch Times
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Toronto Practitioners of Spiritual Practice Celebrate World Falun Dafa Day, Marking 33rd Anniversary
Forming a bright sea of yellow, hundreds of Torontonians converged on Nathan Phillips Square on Sunday dressed in matching shirts, holding colourful banners, and performing the meditative exercises that are part of the traditional Chinese spiritual practice known as Falun Dafa. The gathering on May 11—which included VIP speeches and a parade through downtown Toronto—marked the 33rd year since Falun Dafa was introduced to the public in China by its founder, Li Hongzhi, in 1992. Similar World Falun Dafa Day festivities take place on or around Li's birthday, May 13, in many cities worldwide every year. Falun Dafa practitioners perform the practice's exercises at the Nathan Phillips Square in downtown Toronto on May 11, 2025. Evan Ning/The Epoch Times Falun Dafa practitioners meditate at the Nathan Phillips Square in downtown Toronto on May 11, 2025. Evan Ning/The Epoch Times As in past years, this occasion in Toronto featured a marching band, a lion dance, choral singers, and dancers in graceful costumes performing Chinese dance. It was organized by the local community of Falun Dafa practitioners in Toronto—among them those who had fled communist China due to an ongoing religious persecution against the group Finding freedom of belief in Canada, practitioners in many Canadian cities hold the annual event to celebrate as well as raise awareness. The gathering often includes speeches and greetings such as by government officials and community leaders showing their support. 'The Falun Dafa movement has made a great contribution to our country, here in Canada, and seeks to preserve Chinese tradition, spirituality, culture, and values,' Conservative MP Garnett Genuis told The Epoch Times in an interview just ahead of World Falun Dafa Day. In contrast, 'the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong practitioners is deplorable,' Genuis said, referring to the alternative name that Falun Dafa is known by. Related Stories 5/9/2025 5/5/2025 'It's a grave violation of international law and basic norms of human rights, and Conservatives will continue to stand for human rights in China and everywhere, to advocate for recognition of universal human dignity of all people,' Genuis added. The Young Falun Dafa practitioners hold a lion dance performance on stage at the Nathan Phillips Square during the ceremonies to celebrate the world Falun Dafa Day, in downtown Toronto on May 11, 2025. Evan Ning/The Epoch Times The FDIC said Jiang saw the ever-growing numbers as a threat, as well as the spiritual practice's independence from Party control and its guiding principles that were incompatible with communist atheist ideology. Former Senator Consiglio Di Nino, who had spoken at the annual Young Falun Dafa practitioners perform a traditional Chinese dance on stage at the Nathan Phillips Square during the ceremonies to celebrate the world Falun Dafa Day, in downtown Toronto on May 11, 2025. Evan Ning/The Epoch Times Young Falun Dafa practitioners perform a traditional Chinese dance on stage at the Nathan Phillips Square during the ceremonies to celebrate the world Falun Dafa Day, in downtown Toronto on May 11, 2025. Evan Ning/The Epoch Times 'I want to, once again, acknowledge and respect who you are and what you're doing, because we do need it, and we continue to need it for the world at large,' he said. Former Conservative MP Wladyslaw Lizon, originally from Poland, told the rally participants: 'I grew up in a communist system. Therefore, I know what it means for followers [of faith] in China who are mistreated by their own government.' 'We should not forget them, and we should never stop asking and pushing the communist government to stop persecution,' he said. Also speaking was Gloria Fung, president of Canada-Hong Kong Link. Pointing to the CCP's 'brutality in China suppressing Falun Gong brothers and sisters,' Fung said 'all of us have known that the CCP will stop at nothing to preserve its power.' She noted that 'now its arms have stretched to Canada and our communities,' and 'its goal is to destabilize our Canadian democracy,' referring to Beijing's transnational repression and foreign interference, such as attempts to Event hosts (L and 2nd L) and keynote speakers on stage at the Nathan Phillips Square to celebrate the World Falun Dafa Day, in downtown Toronto on May 11, 2025. (3rd L-R) Dean Baxendale, book publisher and CEO of the China Democracy Fund, Gloria Fung, president of Canada-Hong Kong Link, former Senator Consiglio Di Nino, former Conservative MP Wladyslaw Lizon, Sheng Xue, Chinese Canadian author and democracy activist, Houqiang Yu, chairman of the Canada Committee of the China Democratic Party, and Kevin Yang and Joel Chipkar with the Falun Dafa Association of Canada. Evan Ning/The Epoch Times Fung said her organization will continue to push the federal government to Dean Baxendale, a book publisher and CEO of the 'This practice has spread around the world,' Baxendale said in a speech at the rally. 'The movement was suppressed by the Chinese Communist Party, as we know, [starting] back in the late '90s.' Falun Dafa practitioners hold a parade to celebrate the world Falun Dafa Day in downtown Toronto on May 11, 2025. Evan Ning/The Epoch Times He said he was in Washington, D.C., earlier this week when the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 'But what's important to understand is that this is not a U.S. problem,' Baxendale said. 'This is a global problem, and we need legislators here in Canada to stand up and to push back against the Chinese Communist Party's oppression and transnational repression writ large around the world.' Falun Dafa practitioners hold a parade to celebrate the world Falun Dafa Day in downtown Toronto on May 11, 2025. Evan Ning/The Epoch Times Falun Dafa practitioners hold a parade to celebrate the world Falun Dafa Day in downtown Toronto on May 11, 2025. Evan Ning/The Epoch Times Falun Dafa Association of Canada representative Joel Chipkar expressed his appreciation to Falun Dafa's founder and spoke to how the spiritual faith has benefited its practitioners. 'What began as a quiet spiritual practice based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance quickly spread into a profound and life-changing force touching millions of lives around the world,' he said, noting that 'Falun Dafa is the fastest-growing spiritual practice in China's history' and has practitioners in over 150 countries. 'What is most inspiring is the strength and resilience that Falun Dafa has given to people who practise it,' he said. 'Even in the face of misinformation and persecution, millions of people have held firm in their faith, responding not with hatred, but with compassion and truth.' 'Their stories of endurance and forgiveness are a testament to the power of Falun Dafa and a beacon of light in our world today,' Chipkar said.
