Minister blames 'hostile actors' for Chong controversy but won't say who in government failed to warn MP

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino would not say Monday who within the government was responsible for failing to warn Conservative MP Michael Chong that a Chinese diplomat allegedly was targeting his family for reprisals.

Instead, Mendicinoblamed "hostile actors" for the controversy.

"The person or persons who are most responsible for any threats that may have been made against Mr. Chong and his family, are the hostile actors who are engineering them, and that is absolutely unacceptable," Mendicino said.

"We're going to continue to put in place the additional powers and tools that are necessary to hold those hostile actors accountable."

The Globe and Mail, citingtop secret document from 2021, reported last week that the Chinese government was targeting a Canadian MP. An unnamed security source reportedly told The Globe thatChinese diplomatZhao Wei was allegedlyworking on efforts to target Chong's family in China.

Chonghas been a vocal critic of the Chinese governmentandhad voted in favour of a House of Commons motion calling Beijing's treatment of the Uyghur minority in China a genocide. Several senior government ministers, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said they first learned about the intelligence regarding Chong through the Globe story.

Last week, Mendicino said the Canadian Security Intelligence Service(CSIS) was responsible for failingto brief the prime minister and himself on the situation.

WATCH |Mendicino says governmenthas'eyes wide open' on foreign threats

Mendicino says government has 'eyes wide open' on foreign threats

1 year ago

Duration 3:52

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says the government will always be 'up front' with Canadians on how it is dealing with foreign threats to MPs and their families.

The governmentbriefed Chong last week and has maintained thatthe intelligence never went beyond CSIS prior to last week.ButTrudeau's national security adviser JodyThomassaid the information was shared with the Privy Council Office (PCO). Trudeau said last week that he'llcompel CSIS to share intelligence about threats to MPs in light of the Chong case.

On Monday, Mendicino did not suggestthat his government could have better handled the intelligence on Chong. He saidthe government is taking the right approach to protecting parliamentarians.

"That isn't just true of Mr. Chong, that's true of all 338 MPs who work in the chamber, who've got a right to be able to do their job ... free of foreign interference," Mendicino said.

The Conservatives repeatedly have called on the government to declareZhaopersona non grata. Later on Monday, ForeignAffairs Minister Melanie Joly announced that the government hasexpelled Zhao

"The prime minister and [Foreign Affairs Minister Mlanie]Joly have made it very clear that all options are on the table when it comes to sanctioning any foreign actor who may have engaged in foreign interference," Mendicino said.

Mendicino repeatedly said national security law limits what he can say publicly on foreign interference.

"I also think it's important to highlight that we also have to respect the law," he said.

"Me and the other members of the government, the prime minister, anyone who works in the national security space has a legal obligation, under the Security of Information Act, to ensure that classified information stays classified, because lives are at stake."

In an annual report last week, CSIS disclosed that it provided 49 security briefings to federal parliamentarians in 2022.

Minister should 'get off his butt': Tory critic

The government hasbeen under opposition pressure to establish a foreign agents'registry and to call a public inquiry on foreign interference.

The government has launched a public consultation on a registryand thehas leftthe decision on whether to call a public inquiry up to former governor general David Johnston.The governmentappointed Johnston as special rapporteur on foreign interference earlier this year.

Conservative public safety critic Raquel Danchoon Mondaycalled for Mendicino to "get off his butt" and take more aggressive action to combat foreign interference, saying keeping Canadians safe from foreign government's should be Ottawa's top priority.

WATCH |Conservative MP calls Mendicino's reaction to foreign interference a 'giant fail'

Conservative MP calls Mendicino's reaction to foreign interference a 'giant fail'

1 year ago

Duration 0:48

Conservative MP Raquel Dancho says Mendicino and the Trudeau government need to do more to keep Canadians safe from foreign threats.

"I would give the minister of public safety a giant fail on this, and you saw last week that he wasn't being transparent at all with what he knewand when he knew," Dancho said.

"And what exactly has he done about it? Whatone thing could he point to since he found outthat he's done about it, to keep Canadians safe from foreign inference and abuse, for our members of Parliament and Canadians? Nothing. He's done nothing about it."