Prime Minister Mark Carney has thrown his full support behind Liberal MP Paul Chiang despite his suggestion that Conservative candidate Joe Tay be taken to the Chinese consulate for a cash bounty.

Despite significant backlash following the revelation last week, Carney expressed his support for Chiang during a press conference in Vaughan, Ont. earlier this morning.

"This is a person of integrity," Carney said. "He has apologized for those comments, he has apologized directly to the person that he mentioned."

The Chinese Communist Party issued a HK$1 million bounty on Tay in 2024 due to his activism supporting pro-democracy efforts in Hong Kong.

Liberal MP Paul Chiang encouraged the abduction of his political opponent. He must be fired!

“Bring him to the Chinese consulate — there’s a million-dollar bounty.”

That’s what Liberal MP Paul Chiang admitted he told a room full of ethnic media, referring to Joe Tay, a… pic.twitter.com/TMyQrYC8Yx

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) March 30, 2025

Carney went on to confirm that Chiang will be continuing his candidacy for the riding of Markham—Unionville. The prime minister added that he believes it's a "teachable moment" for the Liberal candidate.

Carney said that Chiang still has his "confidence" despite a “terrible lapse of judgment" that he was "deeply offended" by.

Joe Tay, the Conservative candidate in Don Valley North, has not accepted Chiang's apology and said he has contacted the RCMP about the matter. Tay has called for Carney to fire Chiang as the Liberal candidate for Markham—Unionville.

"His threatening public comments were made to intimidate me, and they must not be tolerated," Tay wrote in a press release.

Tay added that the situation has left him fearing for his safety and said that Chiang's comments should never be condoned.

Demand the Firing of Liberal MP Paul Chiang!

6,255 signatures

Goal: 15,000 signatures

In January 2025, Liberal MP Paul Chiang urged attendees at a media conference to abduct Conservative candidate Joe Tay and deliver him to the Chinese Consulate in Toronto, effectively endorsing a bounty issued by Hong Kong police. Amid ongoing revelations of Chinese interference in Canadian politics and unresolved recommendations from the Foreign Interference Commission, Chiang’s actions represent a severe threat to Canada's democracy and sovereignty. Sign the petition now and demand Paul Chiang’s immediate firing!

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