Liberals must end secretive foreign takeovers: NDP

OTTAWA – After failing to review deals that had national security implications on two separate occasions, the Liberals are now refusing to give details on why they are reversing a Conservative decision that blocked a deal with Chinese company O-Net that could undermine Canadian national security.

“This process has been completely opaque and has been lacking transparency from the start. It’s troubling that the Liberal government has imposed secret conditions on the deal, but won’t make those conditions public,” said Brian Masse, NDP Critic for Innovation, Science and Economic Development. “If the Minister really wanted to reassure Canadians, he would make public the secret conditions that are part of this foreign takeover.”

Minister Bains stated this decision is based on evidence and advice from Canadian security and intelligence experts, but a 2015 assessment by CSIS and the Department of National Defence – prepared for cabinet – argued against this same deal. The Liberals must come clean on the details of the review they conducted before giving the greenlight for this foreign takeover.

“We need to ask ourselves if any conversations took place between the Chinese company O-Net and the Liberal government,” added Masse. “How can we have any confidence this take-over by a Chinese state-controlled company is in the interest of Canadians if the Minister refuses to give all the details?”