During the question-and-answer segment following the English-language debate, PM Justin Trudeau finally faced an actual question from The Counter Signal journalist Keean Bexte, and he couldn’t muster a coherent response.
NEW: Here was my question to the Prime Minister – and by the looks of it – it hit him like a two by four. pic.twitter.com/6CEHWklwHr
— Keean Bexte (@TheRealKeean) September 10, 2021
After a tumultuous debate night of party leaders arguing over issues that they all agree on with only minor contention, party leader after party leader stepped up to the Q&A stage only to be asked a series of similarly easy questions as those in the debate.
That was until Bexte got his chance to grill Trudeau over his hiding of documents related to the Winnipeg Biolab facility regarding two alleged Chinese agents funneling data and specimens to the communist regime.
“That was quite the softball question from my friend over there, so I’ll try to ask a real one,” said Bexte, referring to the previous question about how mean people have been to him on the campaign trail.
“Mr. Trudeau,” Bexte began, “there has been some speculation that this poorly timed election has been called in part so that you can stop parliament, the former parliament, from procuring documents that they’re constitutionally allowed to have in regards to the Communist Party of China infiltrating the Winnipeg Lab that you are in control of — that you’re responsible for.”
“So, I want to know is it in Canada’s national interest that you’re protecting those documents? Is it in China’s national interest that you’re protecting those documents? Is it in your personal political interest that you’re protecting those documents,” asked Bexte.
“What are you trying to hide from not just Canadians but the world?”
Trudeau couldn’t give a straight answer and plunged headfirst into the usual political word salad drivel that could mean anything at any time.
“I think Canadians understand how important it is to protect national security and to ensure that parliamentarians can oversee the work of our national security agencies,” said Trudeau, at least understanding it’s a question of national security — the most important kind of question.
“That’s why as a commitment we made in 2015,” Trudeau continued, “we moved forward with something that Conservatives had always resisted: oversight by parliamentarians over our national security agencies.”
What does your 2015 commitment have to do with a Biolab research leak in 2019?
“And the national security and intelligence agency — of uh, uh, — sorry, Committee of Parliamentarians actually works,” Trudeau said, stumbling over his words. “And we granted them full access to all the highly secure documents so as they could see the decisions that our security professionals took and not put at risk the national security of Canada.”
“Parliamentarians need to be able to do their work, which we have enabled, while we protect Canada’s national security from China and from others,” Trudeau concluded, smirking despite not addressing Bexte’s fundamental question.
