Conservatives Force Expulsion of Beijing Agent and Probe on Foreign Interference

Plus the government rushes firearm confiscation law C-21 through Parliament, the new 'woke' passports, and more

Conservatives Force Expulsion of Beijing Agent and Probe on Interference

Two years after the government became aware of an MP and his family being targeted by the regime in Beijing and a full week after this information became public, the Liberal government has finally expelled the Beijing agent masquerading as a diplomat out of the Toronto consulate for Beijing. After a week of pressure from Conservatives, the Liberal government declared Beijing diplomat Zhao Wei, the person responsible for targeting for intimidation MP Michael Chong and his family, persona non grata and expelled him from Canada. Conservatives were also able to get all-party support for a committee to study the intimidation campaign against MP Chong.

But for all their talk, they are not taking the matter seriously with this delayed action. They only acted after a whistleblower came forward to media outlets and only after increasing public pressure. Further, The diplomat’s expulsion was done as Liberal MPs voted against a Conservative motion supported by all other parties to create a foreign agent registry to protect our democracy, shut down illegal police stations being operated on Canadian soil by the regime in Beijing and finally establish an open, independent public inquiry to investigate foreign interference in our elections, in addition to expelling Beijing’s operative.

The fact that this interference ever occurred and that it took this long for action is proof of this government’s neglect and recklessness. In 2020, a former Liberal foreign affairs minister noted that the Liberal government is “aware of intimidation tactics being used against Canadians”, through the use of pressure and threats, and they may also threaten and intimidate individuals outside their country. He even said that it can be used to instill a “fear of state power no matter where a person is located”. Just last year, the Prime Minister himself claimed he would never tolerate “threats to Canada’s national security or to the safety of our citizens and residents.” As we now know, those were merely words and rhetoric. Further reports have come out revealing that CSIS has been aware of Zhao Wei’s activities since 2019, recording instances of intimidation and threats against Falun Gong practitioners, Uyghur human rights activists, Hong Kong pro-democracy activists and supporters of Taiwan and Tibet independence, all opponents of the China Communist Party. The diplomat and other proxies took photos of dissidents, monitored their events, and reported them to Beijing’s Ministry of State Security, their secret police. CSIS further noted that beyond Zhao Wei, there is a larger list of diplomats that warrant expulsion for engaging in foreign interference and threat activities.

The Liberals knew exactly how foreign interference can affect Canadians. They have regular access to intelligence briefings that would have reported on serious matters of foreign interference. CSIS itself documents that the People’s Republic of China sees Canada as a prime target for interference. Yet, the Prime Minister stood by and did nothing for two years when there were threats to MP Chong’s family nor did he take action on numerous other forms of intimidation and threats against Canadians of Chinese heritage by a list of CSIS-flagged diplomats. He even sought to mislead the public in saying the CSIS documents never left their department. This was contrary to top security officials who revealed the national security advisor had received the intelligence. Canadians across the country deserve to know that the government takes their safety and security seriously. The Liberal government’s approach under this Prime Minister to protect Canadians is sorely lacking.

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NDP-Liberal coalition shuts down debate on firearm confiscation Bill C-21

The NDP-Liberal coalition strikes again. This week, they moved to shut down debate on their firearm confiscation Bill C-21. This comes after they embarrassingly walked back from their original position months ago and were forced to move significant amendments to the bill following significant public backlash. But as I pointed out in my past newsletter, it was simply old wine in a new bottle. Their newest proposed changes have the same effects and are just further steps towards the Prime Minister’s stated objective to prohibit, ban and confiscate current hunting rifles. The legislation deserved a fulsome parliamentary debate, not this guillotine. The coalition then put forth another vote ordering the parliamentary public safety committee to rapidly debate the bill without full transparency. I rose in Parliament to vote against both measures just as many hundred of constituents have asked me to do. 

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Meeting with Dan McTeague, President of Canadians for Affordable Energy

I had a great meeting with former Liberal MP Dan McTeague, a fountain of knowledge about all things energy in Canada and a strong critic of the Trudeau Liberals. He is President of the Canadians for Affordable Energy and is the brains behind the gaswizard.ca website that tracks gasoline prices in Canada. We spoke about the carbon tax, policies to promote Alberta’s energy sector, and many other issues.

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Liberal Government Erases Canadian History with New Passports

It has been eight years under this government and basic services are not being delivered to Canadians. Instead of addressing all the issues of backlogs and delays in passport offices and the immigration system, the Liberal government decided to shift resources, time and money to removing Canadian historical icons from our passports. They released a new version with a significant graphic redesign that largely eliminates important moments of Canadian history. The Vimy Ridge Memorial, Terry Fox, and prominent suffragette Nellie McClung are among the symbols of Canadian identity and culture that were removed that were honoured in our passports. A liberal minister said that the redesign, including images of polar bears, a squirrel eating a nut, and birds in winter, captures the “spirit of who we are as Canadians.” Does erasing Terry Fox capture that spirit? I think not. Does wiping out the Vimy Ridge memorial from the passport improve our historical knowledge? No, it does not. Furthermore, I am unaware of any groups of Canadians that were calling for these images to be removed. They could have been re-stylized to improve security features and our shared history could have continued to be honoured in our passports. What do you think? Email me below about your thoughts on the new passports.