BREAKING: Trudeau votes against motion forcing decision on Huawei’s 5G access

The opposition motion tabled by Conservative MP Michael Chong additionally called upon the government to "develop a robust plan, as Australia has done, to combat China's growing foreign operations here in Canada and its increasing intimidation of Canadians living in Canada."

Opposition leader Erin O'Toole discussed the motion in a press conference on Tuesday. "We call upon the government to finally grow a spine, and make a decision on Huawei's involvement in Canada's critical 5G network within 30 days of the adoption of this motion," O'Toole stated.

O'Toole accused Huawei of engaging in intellectual property theft from the now-defunct Canadian telecom giant Nortel. Such allegations have also been put forward by former Nortel executives, military officials, and cybersecurity experts.

O'Toole also discussed the Chinese government's campaign of intimidation against Chinese expatriates, stating "Canadians of Chinese origin have been threatened by foreign agents in our country." Human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and the Uyghur Congress have documented Chinese intimidation, especially against human rights activists who have spoken out against the crackdown in Hong Kong and China's ongoing genocide of ethnic Uyghurs in East Turkestan.

Despite Liberal Party opposition, the motion passed with 179 votes in favour and 146 votes opposed.