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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 165

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 7, 2023 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 165 - Mar/7/23
Hon. Michael Chong (Wellington—Halton Hills, CPC)
  • Mar/7/23 2:41:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Beijing's foreign interference is a serious threat, a national threat. It threatens the integrity of democratic institutions, social cohesion, the economy, long-term prosperity and fundamental rights and freedoms, but the government has not treated this threat seriously. It has hidden behind all sorts of excuses and accusations, like anti-Asian racism. Now it is hiding behind a secret committee with secret hearings, secret evidence and secret conclusions, all controlled by the Prime Minister. When is the government going to come clean with us and with Canadians about what exactly is going on?
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Context: House Hansard - 165 - Mar/7/23
Hon. Michael Chong (Wellington—Halton Hills, CPC)
  • Mar/7/23 2:43:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, if the government treated the threat seriously, it would listen to the advice of CSIS. CSIS has said that an effective way to counter foreign interference is through sunlight and transparency, to build resilience by informing Canadians about interference threat activities. The government has done the opposite. First it hid behind excuses and accusations, and then it hid behind a secret committee and a special rapporteur. The government has been anything but transparent about this. It is burying the truth in process. Why?
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Context: House Hansard - 165 - Mar/7/23
Hon. Dominic LeBlanc (Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.)
  • Mar/7/23 2:43:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. friend likes to refer to what CSIS said. Let us talk about what it said in 2013, when the Leader of the Opposition was the minister responsible for democratic institutions. It specifically warned, 10 years ago, “When diaspora groups in Canada are subjected to clandestine and deceptive manipulation by a foreign power in order for it to garner support for its policies and values, these activities constitute a threat to the security of Canada.” What did the then Conservative government do for two years after that 2013 threat? It did absolutely nothing.
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Context: House Hansard - 165 - Mar/7/23
Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)
  • Mar/7/23 2:52:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have every reason to believe that the member opposite, for the entirety of his life, has fought for Canadian democracy. I would believe that he knows that I have done the same. I believe that he would know every member in this House has done the same. I believe the member opposite would also know that foreign interference is a threat to our democracy, and that the objective of any nation to interfere in our democracy is not a threat against a party or a government, but a threat against our democracy. We are united in making sure that foreign interference is repelled. National security cannot be played with. We need to deal carefully and delicately—
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