SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 288 - Feb/29/24

Mr. Mark Strahl (Chilliwack—Hope, CPC)

Feb/29/24 2:16:17 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, after eight years, the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister is not worth the corruption or the cover-up. The Liberals fought tooth and nail to prevent Canadians from getting the documents that told the truth about the massive security breach at Canada's top-level laboratory, and we now know why they were so eager to cover them up. The documents revealed that the Liberal government allowed two scientists who were a very serious and credible danger and a realistic and credible threat to Canada's economic security, to compromise the Winnipeg lab. CSIS reported that one of the scientists intentionally transferred scientific knowledge and materials to China to benefit the PRC. The Prime Minister has said he admires China's basic dictatorship, so it is no surprise that under his watch the regime in Beijing was allowed to infiltrate what was supposed to be one of Canada's most secure facilities. Only a common-sense Conservative government will stand on guard for our country and make sure this never happens again.

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Context: House Hansard - 288 - Feb/29/24

Hon. Michael Chong (Wellington—Halton Hills, CPC)

Feb/29/24 2:18:35 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, the government neglected national security. It hid things. On top of that, it is still not taking responsibility. Yesterday, the Minister of Health said that none of the senior officials involved in supervising the scientists who were fired would be held accountable. If none of the senior officials are responsible, who in cabinet will be?

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Context: House Hansard - 288 - Feb/29/24

Hon. Michael Chong (Wellington—Halton Hills, CPC)

Feb/29/24 2:19:49 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, the Canada-China committee, in 2019, could have done exactly the same job as the ad hoc committee did. We could have had the documents three years ago. The CSIS assessments released yesterday make it clear that the PRC is and was actively recruiting top Canadian scientists to plunder Canada's research and intellectual property. The assessments also make clear that the PRC wants to weaponize civilian research for military purposes against us and our allies. Knowing what we know now, will the government halt all collaboration between Winnipeg's National Microbiology Laboratory and any entities and individuals in the People's Republic of China?

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Context: House Hansard - 288 - Feb/29/24

Hon. Mark Holland (Minister of Health, Lib.)

Feb/29/24 2:21:46 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, the two Canadian scientists in question were well-known for their work in virology and had spent their time working on health treatments for those who were suffering from viruses. With respect to collaboration, there is absolutely no evidence of the thing that the member is suggesting. I do not think that it is at all appropriate to suggest that they were involved with weaponization or things of this nature. The Conservatives have all the documents. They can see all of the information. We have waived all the normal considerations, not only of national security but also of employee relationships, that are normally kept confidential. It was our government that did that. That is why they have this—

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Context: House Hansard - 288 - Feb/29/24

Hon. Mark Holland (Minister of Health, Lib.)

Feb/29/24 2:24:39 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, it is the exact opposite of a cover-up. It was the current government that created the process that released the documents. Conservatives actually refused to participate in the process. The second thing I will say with respect to our national security interests is that it is essential, when we are dealing with national security, to recognize two things: that the party opposite is saying it would support partisan interference into the Public Health Agency of Canada, and that if it were in government, it would see that political interference into the process as acceptable. No, it is done at arm's length, and rightfully so. It is the Public Health Agency of Canada that identified these Canadian citizens, these eminent scientists, who were lying, and took action.

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Context: House Hansard - 288 - Feb/29/24

Hon. Mark Holland (Minister of Health, Lib.)

Feb/29/24 2:34:01 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to step back and really consider what the Conservative Party is saying here. At the time they were hired, these two Canadian citizens were eminent scientists who were well published and well regarded throughout North America. The fact that they lied and misrepresented themselves is reprehensible— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

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Context: House Hansard - 288 - Feb/29/24

Hon. Mark Holland

Feb/29/24 2:34:42 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, I would hope they are not suggesting that, if they had been in power, they would have interfered politically, and been able, through clairvoyance, to know that these eminent scientists, who at that point in time we had no reason to believe were anything other than Canadian scientists who were doing good research, and gotten rid of them before this happened.

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Context: House Hansard - 288 - Feb/29/24

Mr. Michael Cooper (St. Albert—Edmonton, CPC)

Feb/29/24 2:43:37 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, what a disgraceful answer from the minister. A national security culture begins at the top with the Prime Minister. This is a Prime Minister who said that he admires Beijing's basic dictatorship. This is a Prime Minister who, over the past eight years, has repeatedly ignored Beijing's interference. In the face of that, is it any wonder that, under the Prime Minister's watch, top Beijing military scientists had unfettered access to some of Canada's most sensitive biological secrets?

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Context: House Hansard - 288 - Feb/29/24

Hon. Mark Holland (Minister of Health, Lib.)

Feb/29/24 2:44:14 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, in the first order, that is not true. What is true is that the Public Health Agency of Canada, which is one of the most respected agencies in the world, and which was there for us throughout the pandemic, is entirely responsible for its operations. The truth is that there were two individuals hired. They were Canadian citizens, eminent scientists, who were well known and well respected across Canada and around the world, who lied to the Public Health Agency of Canada. The Public Health Agency of Canada then took the very responsible action of firing those individuals and turning the matter over to the RCMP. They are currently under investigation. Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

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Context: House Hansard - 288 - Feb/29/24

Hon. Andrew Scheer (Regina—Qu'Appelle, CPC)

Feb/29/24 2:51:59 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, the minister must be confused, because it is not Conservatives making a link between these scientists and threats to national security. It is the government's own security agencies saying that these individuals were collaborating with foreign entities that presented a threat to the security of Canada. We are talking about research with pathogens and deadly viruses, while, at the same time, these individuals were on the payroll of the People's Liberation Army and the communist regime in Beijing. Rather than inform Canadians and come clean at the outset, the government went into overdrive to cover it up. How can the Prime Minister be so callous and selfish that he would try to protect himself rather than the security of Canadians?

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