44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 29, 2024 10:00AM
- Feb/29/24 2:22:28 p.m.
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The hon. member for Cumberland—Colchester.
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- Feb/29/24 2:22:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, a scientist working with Ebola at Canada’s only level 4 lab collaborated with a People’s Republic of China army major general. Sadly the story does not end there. Dr. Qiu was able to gain access to the lab for students from China and, it gets worse, for a scientist from the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, the research arm of the People's Liberation Army, known to work on biology-enabled warfare.
How did so many citizens from a hostile superpower gain access to Canada’s top lab? Is it because the Prime Minister admires China's basic dictatorship?
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- Feb/29/24 2:23:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, some will attempt to turn national security concerns into partisan games. That is unfortunate.
Let me just give an example. The exchange concerning Ebola in 2019 was done in the context of trying to work with China and other countries on finding solutions to Ebola, which exists in so many different parts of the world. At that moment in time, in 2019, the relationship with China was in a different place. The information that was shared was through legitimate channels. It has nothing to do with this issue. It was absolutely known and handled with complete control.
I think it is very important to not mis-characterize national security for partisan interests.
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- Feb/29/24 2:23:49 p.m.
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I would like to remind all members to ensure that they do not direct language that would be unparliamentary at any of their colleagues.
The hon. member for Cumberland—Colchester.
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- Feb/29/24 2:24:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the minister's comments are reckless and untrue.
Before March 31, 2019, the PRC did not have a containment level 4 lab. How can I be so specific about the date? It is the date on which a scientist at Canada's top lab, the National Microbiology Laboratory, shipped dangerous pathogens including the Ebola virus to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. This scientist had a history of visiting and collaborating with the PLA since 2016.
When did the Minister of Health and the Prime Minister know about the espionage and blatant violation of our sovereignty, and when did they decide to cover it up?
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- Feb/29/24 2:24:39 p.m.
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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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- Feb/29/24 2:25:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Quebec Court of Appeal has just handed down its ruling on the state secularism law, Bill 21. There is a fair bit of consensus in Quebec on this legislation. Quebeckers want a clear separation of church and state, which is what the law guarantees.
Now that the Quebec Court of Appeal has rendered its decision, it is clear that the next step will be the Supreme Court. We saw it with Bill 101, and we will see it again with Bill 21.
What we are asking Ottawa is simple: Can it stay out of it, either directly or indirectly, because Quebec knows what is good for Quebec?
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- Feb/29/24 2:26:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's question. Obviously, the Quebec Court of Appeal has just handed down its ruling. I will read it, and we will reflect on it.
However, I want to emphasize the same message that we have always emphasized. We will always be there to defend the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. If this decision goes to the Supreme Court, we will be there to intervene.
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- Feb/29/24 2:26:42 p.m.
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I will say it again, Mr. Speaker: Quebec knows what is good for Quebec.
We know that French is not only our official language, but it is also our common language and we need to protect it. We know that gender equality is non-negotiable, just like we know that the best way to protect religion is for the state not to have any. That is what Bill 21 is all about. There is a general consensus on that in Quebec.
Will the Liberals, who say they do not like to bicker, commit to not going against the will of Quebeckers on Bill 21?
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- Feb/29/24 2:27:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister and our government have always said, we will be there to defend the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The charter protects freedom of expression, but also freedom of religion and the right to equality.
That being said, if this ruling ends up at the Supreme Court of Canada, we will be there to intervene.
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- Feb/29/24 2:27:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the ArriveCAN drama never stops. When we told the Liberals they could ask the public service to do the work that was required, they said it was not possible. It turns out that the ArriveCAN contract was awarded to a DND employee, so a public servant actually did do the work.
Under the Liberals, public money going to private consultants has tripled. Why are they trying to give Conservatives a run for their money on how much money they can waste on private consulting?
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- Feb/29/24 2:28:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the question is an important one.
As soon as we were made aware that the CEO of Dalian was a DND employee, we took immediate action to suspend all contracts with Dalian, and I can confirm for the House that all active contracts with Dalian have been suspended. I can also confirm for the House that the person in question has also been suspended.
The matter will be thoroughly investigated.
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- Feb/29/24 2:28:58 p.m.
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Colleagues, once again I ask that you please be respectful of the questions that are asked and, of course, of the answers given, for many reasons. One reason is that members who require the use of translation cannot hear if members are shouting.
The hon. member for Burnaby South.
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- Feb/29/24 2:29:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, a family of six, including a pregnant woman, is living under an overpass in Montreal. The family has been evicted from their apartment and they cannot find affordable housing. This is the result of the Liberals and Conservatives losing over a million affordable housing units.
Are the Liberals ashamed of their record or are they too out of touch?
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- Feb/29/24 2:29:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know that every person in Canada has the right to a roof over their head. That is a fundamental human right.
We have doubled funding to communities in order to fight homelessness and ensure everyone has a place to call home. We know there is a lot of work to be done. However, unlike the Conservatives, we are not going to insult municipalities to get that work done. We have to make sure we work with everyone to find a lasting solution to homelessness in Canada.
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- Feb/29/24 2:30:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is not worth the cost, the crime, the corruption or the cover-ups. After the Liberals hid the Winnipeg lab documents from Canadians for over three years, we finally know why they blocked Parliament. We know Dr. Qiu had “close and clandestine relationships with...entities of the People's Republic of China” and collaborated with military scientists.
The People's Liberation Army is a known security threat to Canada, so why did the Prime Minister cover up the breach of national security instead of arresting the spies?
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- Feb/29/24 2:31:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I will answer the first part of the answer, as I suspect we are going to have other questions on the second element.
On the first order, the first offer was to have all parliamentarians to look at the documents through NSICOP. That was an immediate offer. Some opposition members said that was not a good answer, because they wanted to make sure that if there was a need for redactions to be released, there would be a process.
I, as House leader at that point in time, suggested an ad hoc process that would ensure that an independent arbiter would make the decision about releasing the documents. I would remind the member again that it is an independent decision of the Public Health Agency to make redactions. I am sure he is not suggesting that anything other than that should happen.
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- Feb/29/24 2:31:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the House leader actually sued the Speaker.
Dr. Qiu maliciously shared technology materials from the Winnipeg labs with Major General Chen, one of Beijing's top commanders at the Academy of Military Medical Science. The academy is described in the CSIS documents as “the highest medical research institution of the People's Liberation Army of the PRC” and as having offensive biological weapons capabilities. One of its objectives is “transforming the results of basic civilian research into military applications” and “development of military biotechnologies”. The Chinese military can now make more biological weapons and potentially use them against Canadians and our allies.
Why did the Prime Minister cover up this national security threat?
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- Feb/29/24 2:32:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have already said that the documents first were released, and then the additional redactions were actually commenced by us.
The second point is that the member says “maliciously”, but we do not know what the intention was. That is the purpose of an RCMP investigation. These are individuals whom I am deeply concerned about, like the member opposite is. In having followed due process, we understand what they did.
With respect to the Chinese government, the military itself, the government, academia and scientists are all part of its military. That means that any connection they had whatsoever would have touched that, and so I think it is careful—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- Feb/29/24 2:33:01 p.m.
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Colleagues, it is hard for the Chair to hear the response. If members are not satisfied with the response, sometimes the best opportunity is just to listen to it in silence and let it stand on its own.
The hon. member for Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman has the floor.
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