Chong's motion to investigate security breaches, Winnipeg lab documents pass

OTTAWA – Federal health and intelligence officials will appear before parliamentarians to answer questions about once-classified documents about a security breach at a Winnipeg infectious disease lab.

At least seven health officials, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and two federal ministers will be questioned by the Special Committee on Canada-People's Republic of China Relations about declassified documents detailing investigations into the dismissals. Two scientists from the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.

In 2020, infectious disease scientists Xiang Qiu and her husband Keding Cheng, then employees of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), had their security clearances revoked. Later they were fired in 2021.

The government has learned what happened at a Winnipeg lab that has been battling some of the deadliest pathogens for years.

Orders were made in the committee and the House to produce raw documents on security breaches, but PHAC and the government refused.

A non-partisan committee of four MPs, chaired by three former judges, was set up to decide what should be made public in government documents in 2023.

Michael Chong, a Conservative foreign affairs critic and MP for Wellington-Helton Hills, proposed in March that the House of Commons Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics Committee investigate how information and intelligence flows through the government and why government documents about the dismissal of scientists were given to MPs. “overclassified”.

Chong's proposal was never voted on at the time.

Liberal member Iqra Khalid accused the Conservatives of playing “political games”. NDP member Michael Green said Advertiser committee was the wrong place.

Chong said Liberal and NDP members “postponed the hearing on the lab violations in Winnipeg.” Advertiser In a phone conversation, he scoffed at the idea that the Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics Committee was the wrong place.

According to Chong, one of the main issues besides national security breaches is access to information, which is one of the committee's mandates.

A local MP made a new motion on March 26, asking the Canada-China committee to examine the Winnipeg lab documents and the obstacles to obtaining them in the first place.

There should have been an “almost immediate” review of the documents after receiving them, he told the committee in his submission.

“The people who have been called on this matter have obstructed, confused and delayed the release of these documents … initially they said they could not get the documents due to confidentiality, which is not true,” Chong said.

“When that didn't work, they moved to hide behind national security, which we now know was not a legitimate reason to withhold the documents.

“They then challenged four orders of the House of Commons, including subpoenas for these documents.”

In late February, the House reviewed more than 600 pages, including classified security and intelligence reports, investigative reports, numerous email streams, logistical documents and scripted responses to reporters who asked questions.

They revealed that in 2018, PHAC's national security division launched an investigation after receiving information that Qiu was named in a Chinese patent believed to contain scientific information belonging to Canada.

The RCMP opened an investigation (which is still ongoing) in 2019, and according to PHAC and CSIS investigations, Qiu and Cheng were found to have shared information with China, developed deep government ties and secretly met with officials.

“We need to hear these witnesses … it's time to get answers on these issues,” Chong said on March 26.

Another Liberal MP at the meeting accused the Conservatives of turning the issue into a “political show” and said the party was using the inquiry for “political posturing”.

Liberal MP Yasir Naqvi, who is not a member of the Canada-China committee, proposed several amendments to Chong's motion, including the removal of:

• a subpoena component to compel witnesses to appear before the commission;
• Chong's proposal to add an hour to the total time for questioning witnesses at the weekly committee meeting;
• a clause that makes the review a priority for the committee; and
• The possibility of bringing other witnesses who were not specifically named in Chong's application.

Members debated the proposed changes for some time before the committee rejected them.

Some minor amendments to the wording of the application were approved.

“It's going to be an interesting study,” said committee chairman and Liberal member Ken Hardy.

Chon said Advertiser the liberals wanted to “downgrade” the hearings.

“I think that's what all the amendments are designed to do,” Chong said.

“I'm glad to see that they (Liberal and NDP members) have finally relented and allowed the committee to hold hearings on these violations.”

Chong said the committee's support for his proposal reflects public pressure to “hold the government accountable for national security breaches to ensure such serious breaches do not happen again in the future.”

The committee heard from federal Health Minister Mark Holland earlier this week, as well as officials from PHAC and CSIS. More officials are expected to be heard on April 12 and 15.

In a recent development, Chong's original motion in the Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics Committee was passed on April 9 by a 6-5 vote.

This means that there are two simultaneous investigations into the Winnipeg lab papers, although the witness lists differ slightly between the two.