SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 235 - Oct/19/23

Mr. Kevin Vuong (Spadina—Fort York, Ind.)

Oct/19/23 6:43:59 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, on October 5, when speaking to the issue of foreign interference in Canada, I asked the government to enlighten the House about whether there has been any credible or clear evidence for the government to stand up for Canadians and combat foreign interference by the Chinese Communist Party, or has it decided to embark on a diversionary conflict with another country? Today, we have seen real and actual evidence come forward outlining foreign interference in Canada by Chinese and Iranian operatives. There are Canadian citizens who have come to Canada from these two communities and who have been subjected to intimidation, to stalking and to being threatened. After months of delaying and refusing to acknowledge the existence or the extent of the activities of foreign operatives, the government botched the creation of a selective public inquiry led by a former governor general. After that debacle, we saw the establishment of the Hogue inquiry, which appears to operate more in secret than do foreign operatives. Meanwhile, Canadians continue to be left in the dark. Furthermore, Canadians are wondering why there has been such a prolonged reluctance by the government to own up to the existence of foreign interference. It is not an entirely new phenomenon. Is the governing party somehow in on it? Is there some kind of benefit to turning a blind eye? The setting up of Chinese police stations really should have been a good clue on foreign interference. Additionally, media reports about Iranian Canadians being stalked and threatened would have been another dead giveaway. While the government continues to drag its feet with respect to getting to the bottom of foreign interference in Canada, it has moved to muddy the waters even more by launching an attack on another democracy over the murder of a Canadian Sikh leader in British Columbia. Both the Prime Minister and the leader of the New Democratic Party have indicated that they have either credible or clear evidence allegedly pointing to another democracy. However, Canadians have a great deal of support for the rule of law and for due process. One would think that rather than spout unsubstantiated claims of what they allegedly possess on the case, these two political leaders would also have such belief in Canadian law. In fact, if they possess any evidence, they have a duty to provide it to the appropriate authorities who are investigating this horrible crime. They do not have the authority to utter questionable statements. They do have a responsibility to present the evidence, and a Canadian court will decide on its value. Canadian political leaders cannot supplement our justice system and become judge, jury and executioner. Nor can they bring Canada's foreign reputation into question. Such irresponsible action has caused real economic, trade and transit problems for Canadians, as well as a diplomatic war of expulsions that soured our relations within another country. Conversely, given the speed of the unfounded accusations and lack of real evidence, Canadians would have loved to have seen such zeal for combatting Iran, China and the foreign interference from them. Perhaps, in the political rush by both the Liberal Party and the NDP to garner Sikh votes in British Columbia, all rational, legal and diplomatic thought went out the window. Besides, as they say, never let the facts interfere with a possible election victory.

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Context: House Hansard - 235 - Oct/19/23

Mr. Kevin Vuong

Oct/19/23 6:51:30 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, I have to applaud my Liberal colleague for his willingness to engage in revisionist history. When it came to declaring the diplomat persona non grata, the government had to be dragged kicking and screaming into doing the right thing. We had to hear from the member for Wellington—Halton Hills, who first revealed the fact that he was targeted, before there was enough outrage and uproar for the government to finally get around to doing something, and when the Liberals did it, their statement was almost apologetic to the Chinese Communist Party. It is as if the Trudeau government thinks Canadians do not know—

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Context: House Hansard - 235 - Oct/19/23

Mr. Kevin Vuong

Oct/19/23 6:52:23 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, it is as if the Liberal government thinks Canadians do not know any better and that, if its members repeat something enough times, Canadians will just believe it. The reality is that there are Canadians, whether of Iranian heritage, of Chinese heritage or of a number of diaspora communities, who are at risk, have been intimidated or are being threatened. They have raised those concerns, and all they have been met with is a lot of rhetoric, a lot of good talk and no action.

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