Poilievre says Trudeau called 2021 election to cover up Chinese spy scandal at Canada’s national biolab

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called a snap election in 2021 in order to avoid any scrutiny over a Chinese spy scandal at the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

He reminded reporters at a Thursday news conference that China interfered in that election and helped secure a minority government for Trudeau and the Liberal Party. He insisted Trudeau wanted to divert attention from the security breach. 

“He called a snap election to make sure the voting would happen before all this came out,” Poilievre said.

The Conservative leader outlined the extent of the security violations in an online statement.

“Under Justin Trudeau’s watch, the PRC and its entities, including the People’s Liberation Army, were allowed to infiltrate Canada’s top-level lab. They were able to transfer sensitive intellectual property and dangerous pathogens to the PRC,” Poilievre said in the statement. 

Poilievre issued the statement following the release of documents last week explaining the firing of two scientists at the microbiology lab – Dr. Xiangguo Qiu and her husband Keding Cheng – who the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) said were relaying classified documents and materials to communist China – including that country’s People’s Liberation Army. 

On Monday, Liberal and NDP MPs blocked Conservative efforts to have the House of Commons ethics committee investigate the espionage, arguing it was not “urgent.” 

In a January 2021 letter, CSIS noted that “Ms. Qiu developed deep, cooperative relationships with a variety of People’s Republic of China institutions and has intentionally transferred scientific knowledge and materials to China in order to benefit the PRC government.” 

Qiu reportedly removed sensitive materials from the biolab and shipped antibodies to the China National Institute for Food and Drug Control. 

When asked about the scandal, Trudeau attempted to divert attention to Poilievre and the Conservatives, claiming they have “weaponized national security in a way that is rife with conspiracy theories.”

He did not say what conspiracy theories he was referring to.

In his statement, Poilievre said this was a “massive security failure” that Trudeau must ultimately be held responsible for.

“Based on its own assessment, the Liberal government allowed a person who is ‘a very serious and credible danger’ and ‘a realistic and credible threat to Canada’s economic security’ to access and compromise our country’s top-level lab, which works with some of the world’s most dangerous viruses, such as Ebola,” Poilievre said.

“This is a massive national security failure by Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government, which he fought tooth and nail to cover up, including defying four parliamentary orders and taking the House of Commons Speaker to court. He cannot be trusted to keep our people and our country safe,” the official opposition leader continued.

“Common Sense Conservatives are studying every single page of these explosive documents and will not stop until Canadians know the truth about this unprecedented and terrifying security breach.”

“A Pierre Poilievre government will secure our labs and all of our government assets against these sorts of national security breaches and will stand on guard for our country to make sure this never happens again.”

Trudeau called an election soon after the dismissal of the scientists. It has taken almost three years for the documentation to be publicly released. Health Minister Mark Holland claimed it took so long because of “national security” concerns.