Debates of May 4th, 2023

Red Dress Alert

[Jenica Atwin, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Speaker, on May 5, the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit People, we must reckon with the nationwide emergency that is the horrible, continuous loss of these precious lives. I am devastated that, as time passes, we continue to lose mothers, sisters, aunties, daughters, cousins and friends. Just this week, we learned of yet another young woman in Alberta who was senselessly taken from those who knew and loved her.

This emergency demands immediate action and adequate investments. We need to implement the calls for justice. First and foremost, we must follow the lead of women and survivors on the path of healing and reconciliation. This is a systemic crisis that needs systemic solutions. We must ensure that women have access to all the resources they need in order to have their rights fully respected.

This is why I wish to echo the calls by the member for Winnipeg Centre, and many others, to implement a red dress alert system. I believe that this alert would raise awareness of this crisis and would save countless lives. The time for discussion is over, and the time for urgent action is now. Indigenous women and girls and gender-diverse people deserve love, safety and justice.

Democratic Institutions

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, members of the government said, earlier today in the House, that I had known for two years about the specific threat that a PRC diplomat in Toronto was gathering information to target my family. That is false. I will categorically state again for the record that the briefing of two years ago, in June 2021, was general in nature. It did not contain any information about the specific threat that a PRC diplomat in Toronto, Mr. Wei Zhao, was targeting my family.

Will the Prime Minister correct the record to stop the spread of this misinformation?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure my colleague opposite that we take the concerns that he has expressed, and that have been expressed in public, with regard to foreign interference and the targeting of himself and his family extremely seriously, which is why we will continue to work with him and provide him with briefings.

I would also point out that, earlier today, we tabled the 2022 CSIS report, wherein it states, among things, that CSIS provided briefings to 49 federal parliamentarians. By working with everybody, we can protect our democratic institutions.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Anthony Rota]

I want to remind hon. members—

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB]

He's lying.

[The Speaker, Anthony Rota]

I am not going to say “honourable” member, but does the member want to withdraw that, please?

No.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Anthony Rota]

Order.

To the member for Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, if you do not respect the Chair, the Chair will not recognize you while you are in the House.

The hon. member for Wellington—Halton Hills, please continue.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have just been informed by the—

[An hon. member]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Anthony Rota]

Withdraw it and apologize to the Chair. The Chair will not recognize you until you do, indefinitely.

The hon. member for Wellington—Halton Hills.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have just been informed by the national security adviser that the CSIS intelligence assessment of July 20, 2021 was sent by CSIS to the relevant departments and to the national security adviser in the PCO. This report contained information that I and other MPs were being targeted by the PRC.

This contradicts what the Prime Minister said yesterday. He said that “CSIS made the determination that it wasn't something that needed be raised to a higher level because it wasn't a significant enough concern”.

Will the Prime Minister correct the record that this report and information was sent to the departments and to the Privy Council Office?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for sharing that update with the chamber. I can also assure him that, as the Prime Minister said and as I said earlier this week, we found out on Monday of this week, which is why we acted very quickly and decisively to reach out directly to the member for Wellington—Halton Hills to make sure that he was offered a briefing and had that briefing happen.

We will continue to work with him to address and mitigate any concerns around foreign interference, because every member in the chamber deserves to be able to do their work in representing their constituencies in a manner that is safe and secure.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, CSIS has been advising the government, the departments, the Privy Council Office, the national security adviser and deputy ministers that foreign agents in Canada, foreign diplomats in Canada, are presenting a threat to Canadian MPs in the House of Commons. In fact, the 2022 intelligence report from CSIS today says, “These threat actors must be held accountable for their clandestine activities.... We will also continue to inform national security stakeholders and all Canadians about foreign interference”.

Why is the government not listening to the advice of CSIS and not listening to the advice in the reports that are being distributed?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, we are taking concrete action. In fact, as my colleague would know, I hope, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, earlier today, summoned the Chinese ambassador to ensure that we are clear about any consequences around hostile activities or foreign interference, and that is very much consistent with Canada's strong record in condemning this kind of behaviour. Moreover, we will continue to work with all parliamentarians to protect the people who work in the chamber so that we can uphold our democracy.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this is a sad day for democracy. Rarely have we seen a political party sink so low.

A member of the House is being threatened by a bully diplomat from Beijing. The member for Winnipeg North and the member for Kingston and the Islands, on behalf of this government and this Prime Minister, have taken over and are now conspiring against our Conservative colleague. They are spreading disinformation. They should be ashamed of themselves.

Why are they siding with Beijing rather than a Canadian MP?

When will the Prime Minister apologize for the offensive attitude shown by members of his political party?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure my colleague. We share the concerns of the member for Wellington—Halton Hills, which is why we offered him a briefing.

We will continue to offer him support, as well as all members who work in the House, to protect our democratic institutions.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that is disinformation.

The member for Wellington—Halton Hills learned today that the CSIS memo indicating that he was obviously being bullied by a diplomat from the Beijing consulate in Toronto was passed on to anyone and everyone on the Liberal side of the House.

However, the Liberals are denying the truth. They did absolutely nothing. They have not expelled any diplomats and they continue to spread disinformation.

When will they apologize? Will they be ashamed to go before their membership with such lies?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I fully understand the frustration and fear that our colleague felt knowing that he and his family could be targeted by the government in Beijing.

That is why we have always said and will always say that any form of foreign interference is unacceptable. That is why my deputy minister summoned the Chinese ambassador earlier today.

[An hon. member]

Oh, oh!

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if I could continue to speak without my colleague interrupting me, which we also said—

[The Speaker, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Saint-Jean.

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a new development has surfaced.

The Prime Minister claims that CSIS made the decision not to inform the opposition member that he was the target of threats from China.

Richard Fadden, a former CSIS director, demolished this excuse in The Globe and Mail. Mr. Fadden explained that not only would the memo that the media found have been sent to the Prime Minister's office, but it would also have been sent to the departments of foreign affairs and public safety. This means that, at the very least, the Prime Minister and two ministers had the memo.

Why did he keep it a secret?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, let us be very clear: It was only on Monday of this week that the Prime Minister, the government members and I were informed about concerns regarding the member for Wellington—Halton Hills. Once we found out, we dealt with the situation. We provided a briefing to the opposition member.

We are going to keep working with all members to protect our democratic institutions.