Liberal MPs Parm Bains and Mary Ng, along with Trudeau-appointed Liberal Senator Yuen-Pau Woo, and Conservative Senator Victor Oh have all been implicated in foreign interference allegations.
Independent MP Kevin Vuong held a news conference on the matter Monday morning, along with investigative journalist Sam Cooper, former CSIS intelligence officer Michel Juneau-Katsuya, and senior fellow at Sinopsis, Charles Burton.
Cooper, who broke the initial bombshell story that China’s Toronto Consulate secretly funded at least 11 CCP-affiliated candidates in Canada’s 2019 federal election, recounted a recently-uncovered 2020 tape recording that allegedly included Senators Woo and Oh in a private meeting with The Canada Committee 100 Society, as well as an individual officially listed in a CCP-backed United Front organization.
Senators Woo and Oh
In the meeting, Senator Woo whitewashed the suggestion that working for The United Front is an affront to Canadian democracy, and pledged to shield individuals who are supported by the group from scrutiny.
Woo stated in the meeting, “Whether you belong to an organization that happens to be listed as a United Front organization should not be a litmus test.”
Woo further said he’s “fighting very hard” against this reality.
Having translated the tapes from Mandarin to English, Mr. Burton stated on Monday, “Senator Woo’s briefing to the Canada Committee 100 society effectively enables the legitimacy of the agencies of the Chinese Communist Party in our country. This does call into question Senator Woo’s intervener status in the inquiry.”
The audio clips were discovered after the foreign interference public inquiry commissioner, Marie-Josée Hogue, granted Woo’s late application to make arguments.
Senator Woo responded to The Counter Signal’s request for comment, stating: “The press conference confirms my longstanding concern about the role of second-rate journalists, phony experts, disgruntled officials, and opportunistic politicians in distracting Canadians from serious foreign interference issues and whipping up a frenzy that feeds on disinformation, partisanship, and bigotry.”
As for former Conservative Senator Oh, he has already denied having done anything nefarious, telling the CBC in September, “I never promote any state-owned company in Ontario,” he said, “No way. And even if I do so, those are for economy reasons for helping out the country.”
Parm Bains
Cooper also alleged that other participants in the tape-recorded meeting went on to support then-Liberal candidate, now MP, Parm Bains, after Bains said he opposed Conservative MPs Kenny Chui’s foreign registry bill, which aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability in Canada.
Mr. Bains has not responded to a request for comment.
Mary Ng
Liberal MP Marg Ng was also implicated in the scandal.
“Two national security sources indicated that a specific CSIS concern was Ng’s staff allegedly meeting privately with a Toronto Consulate diplomat to consult on China-related issues,” Cooper said.
He added, “CSIS identified this diplomat, Zoe Wei, as a confirmed intelligence actor.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently promoted Ng to a cabinet position, where she serves as Canada’s International Trade Minister.
Update, October 29, 1pm: Minister Ng
No allegations have been proven in a court of law.
Public Inquiry
The Trudeau government stymied several attempts by Opposition MPs to hold a public inquiry into foreign interference, until finally submitting amid immense pressure, appointing Justice Marie-Josée Hogue to commission the investigation. Cooper noted that Justice Hogue has not commented on the allegations related to Ng, or her staff.
Hogue has already stated she will not release the names of the politicians suspected of treason.
Justice Hogue noted in her interim report on May 3 that the Liberal Government is redacting and withholding cabinet documents, preventing her from fulfilling her job.
Trudeau later responded, “That is incorrect. We actually delivered the four relevant MC’s to — memorandums to cabinet — to the inquiries.”
