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espionage

The Winnipeg Lab Leak: A Tale of Naivety and National Security Neglect

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6 minute read

From The Opposition News Network

How Ideological Blindness and Bureaucratic Red Tape Endangered Global Health

Let’s cut to the chase. Watching Meeting No. 36 of the Special Committee on the Canada–People’s Republic of China Relationship was like stepping into a world where common sense has left the building. We’ve got a lab in Winnipeg, Canada’s only high-security virology institute, embroiled in what’s essentially a spy movie plot, except it’s real life. Two scientists, Xiangguo Qiu and her husband Keding Cheng, get shown the door over what? Allegedly sending deadly viruses to China. The stuff of nightmares, right?

But here’s where it gets rich. Enter the Honourable Mark Holland, grilled in committee about why, after being flagged by CSIS, these scientists were still allowed to send those pathogens to China. His answer? A masterpiece in missing the point, extolling the virtues of due process and the reputation of scientists as if those are our only concerns when dealing with potential global security threats.

Then there’s his spiel on China. According to Holland, collaborating with China is this grand opportunity for humanity. Really? When it comes to shipping deadly viruses, I’d say the only opportunity is for a disaster. Holland’s defense of the indefensible, prioritizing process over precaution, is a stark reminder of how out of touch he is.

And then, as if to show us what backbone looks like, Dr. Stephen Ellis steps up. This guy gets it. He cuts through the nonsense, asking the hard questions, like whether Wuhan had the Ebola virus before this espionage act. Holland, true to form, dances around the answer. That silence? It’s deafening. It’s as if our government handed over a biological ticking time bomb to China on a silver platter, wrapped in the guise of saving humanity.

So, what are we left with? A government so embroiled in bureaucratic red tape and political correctness that it can’t see the forest for the trees. The more they talk, the more you realize they’re not just missing the point; they’re not even in the same library.

Final thoughts

I’ll leave you with this, my dear reader: as we peel back the layers of governance in our nation, the urgency for change becomes not just apparent but critical. The more I witness the complacency and the ideological rigidity of those at the helm, the more I’m convinced of the need for a seismic shift in our political landscape. It’s not just about choosing between left and right anymore; it’s about choosing between sense and sensibility versus reckless disregard for the principles that have kept our nation strong.

Is handing the reins over to the conservatives with a supermajority the solution? It’s a question that weighs heavily on many minds, mine included. However, the status quo is untenable. The upcoming election isn’t just another cycle; it’s a crossroads for Canada. A time for us, the electorate, to stand up and remind those in power that they serve at our pleasure, not the other way around. We are at a moment of reckoning. A moment where every vote is a statement, every voice a clarion call for leaders who place the well-being of Canada and its people above partisan politics and personal gain. The parties currently in power would do well to remember their duty to the electorate, lest they find themselves relics of a bygone era, swept away by a public that demands and deserves better.

So, as we look forward to casting our votes, let’s remember the power that resides in our hands. The power to shape our nation’s future, to uphold the values of freedom, integrity, and resilience that define us. Let’s rally behind the call for a government that truly represents the best of Canada, a government that not only listens but acts with the courage and conviction worthy of this great country. The time for change is now. The time for action is upon us. And to those in power: Take heed. The Canadian people are watching, they are informed, and they are ready to reclaim the promise of a nation built on the principles of truth, justice, and unwavering determination. Together, let’s make the next chapter in our history one of revival and renewed strength.

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Dan Knight

Writer for the Opposition Network/ Former amateur MMA champion / Independent journalist / Political commentator / Podcaster / Unbiased reporting 

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2025 Federal Election

Hong Kong-Canadian Groups Demand PM Carney Drop Liberal Candidate Over “Bounty” Remark Supporting CCP Repression

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Sam Cooper

Thirteen Hong Kong-Canadian organizations are calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party to immediately revoke the candidacy of MP Paul Chiang, alleging he “may have violated Canadian laws” after making explosive remarks that appeared to endorse a Chinese Communist Party bounty targeting a Toronto-area Conservative candidate.

The controversy centers on Chiang’s comments during a January meeting with Chinese-language media in Toronto, where the Markham–Unionville Liberal incumbent said, “If you can take him to the Chinese Consulate General in Toronto, you can get the million-dollar reward,” referring to Joe Tay, the Conservative candidate in Don Valley North who is wanted by Hong Kong authorities for running a pro-democracy YouTube channel in Canada.

The response from Mark Carney’s Liberals appears increasingly conflicted, especially in light of remarks made last year by the party’s top foreign affairs official concerning Chinese transnational repression targeting Hong Kong immigrants in Canada.

Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly issued a warning in December, stating: “This attempt by Hong Kong authorities to conduct transnational repression abroad, including by issuing threats, intimidation or coercion against Canadians or those in Canada, will not be tolerated.”

Tay had remained silent since the revelations broke Friday. But on Sunday evening, he made his first public statement in a post on X.

“This is the most challenging time in our lifetime, and we must give it everything we’ve got to protect this place we call home. A fourth term for the Liberals is not an option,” Tay wrote.

About the same time, Paul Chiang posted his own statement on social media, offering a direct apology to Tay.

“Today, I spoke with Joseph Tay, the Conservative candidate for Don Valley North, to personally apologize for the comments that I made this past January. It was a terrible lapse of judgement. I recognize the severity of the statement and I am deeply disappointed in myself. As a 28-year police veteran, I have always strived to treat people with respect and dignity. In this case, I failed to meet that standard. I know better and it will never happen again.”

Despite the apology, a Carney campaign spokesperson told reporters Sunday that the party would not remove Chiang from the ballot.

Now, leading Hong Kong Canadian advocacy groups are intensifying pressure, saying Chiang’s comments amount to a tacit endorsement of Beijing’s foreign repression network — a growing concern for Canadian authorities, especially after Ottawa’s diplomatic expulsion of a Chinese official last year over threats to MP Michael Chong’s family.

“The integrity of Canada’s democratic elections has been damaged,” the groups wrote in a joint statement. “Paul Chiang’s actions may have violated Canadian laws, including the Foreign Interference and Security of Information Act and the Canada Elections Act.”

Meanwhile, as the chorus of political condemnation grew beyond criticism from Conservative Party leaders, NDP MP Jenny Kwan — herself a victim of targeted Chinese interference, according to testimony at the Hogue Commission — stood with NDP leader Jagmeet Singh and several candidates in Vancouver and addressed the Chiang scandal directly.

“He is a police officer, and he ought to know that when the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] went out and put a bounty on anybody, including Canadians, that cannot be acceptable. That is intimidation at its worst,” Kwan said.

“And yet, he played right into it. He advocated for people to bring [Tay] to the Chinese consulate to collect the bounty. In what universe is this normal?”

Kwan added the remarks are especially damaging while Canada is facing “active, sophisticated foreign interference activities targeting Canada’s democratic institutions.”

The Hong Kong Canadian groups described Chiang’s apology as “insincere” and “a tactic to downplay the seriousness of his outrageous comments.” They argue that any politician “truly sympathetic to oppressed Hongkongers” would never suggest delivering a Canadian citizen to a hostile foreign government’s diplomatic outpost.

“Chiang’s remarks legitimize foreign interference and potentially threaten Tay’s safety,” the statement reads. “This is not just about an offhand comment — it’s about whether our elected officials are willing to stand up to transnational repression or not.”

The joint release also cites findings from a national survey showing that 85.4% of Hongkonger-Canadian respondents are deeply concerned about transnational repression and infiltration in Canada, while 40.9% reported reducing public political engagement due to safety fears.

“Chiang’s remarks exemplify how foreign interference continues to cast a shadow over Hong Kong immigrants’ lives in Canada,” the groups said, emphasizing that more than 60% of respondents are alarmed by Canada’s handling of relations with China, particularly the influence of Chinese diplomatic institutions operating within Canadian borders.

“The Liberal Party must send a clear message that intimidation or threats against political candidates will not be tolerated,” the statement continues. “Canadians — particularly those who fled authoritarian regimes — deserve a democracy free from foreign interference.”

The Bureau has contacted the Liberal Party for further comment. This is a developing story. More to follow.

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2025 Federal Election

Canadian officials warn Communist China ‘highly likely’ to interfere in 2025 election

Published on

From LifeSiteNews

By Anthony Murdoch

The Canadian government believes China will use specific tools ahead of the April election such as AI and social media to specifically target ‘Chinese ethnic, cultural, and religious communities in Canada using clandestine and deceptive means.’

Canadian officials from the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (SITE) Task Force warned that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) government will most likely try to interfere in Canada’s upcoming federal election.

Vanessa Lloyd, chair of the task force, observed during a March 24 press conference that “it is expected that the People’s Republic of China, or PRC, will likely continue to target Canadian democratic institutions and civil society to advance its strategic objectives.”

SITE is made up of representatives of multiple Canadian departments and agencies that have a security mandate.

Lloyd’s regular job is as the Deputy Director of Operations, second in charge, for Canada’s spy agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).

According to Lloyd, officials from China as well as CCP proxies will be “likely to conduct foreign interference activity using a complex array of both overt and covert mechanisms.”

Her warning comes after the final report from the Foreign Interference Commission concluded that operatives from the CCP may have had a hand in helping to elect a handful of MPs in both the 2019 and 2021 Canadian federal elections. It also concluded that China was the primary foreign interference threat to Canada.

The commission shed light on how CCP agents and proxies conduct election interference, with one method being to rally community groups to make sure certain election candidates are looked down upon.

According to Lloyd, it is “highly likely” that China will engage in certain election meddling using specific tools such as AI.

“The PRC is highly likely to use AI-enabled tools to attempt to interfere with Canada’s democratic process in this current election,” she noted, adding that China will also use social media as well to “specifically target Chinese ethnic, cultural, and religious communities in Canada using clandestine and deceptive means.”

Canada will hold its next federal election on April 28 after Prime Minister Mark Carney triggered it on Sunday.

As reported by LifeSiteNews earlier in the month, a new exposé by investigative journalist Sam Cooper claims there is compelling evidence that Carney and former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are strongly influenced by an “elite network” of foreign actors, including those with ties to communist China and the World Economic Forum.

In light of multiple accusations of foreign meddling in Canadian elections, the federal Foreign Interference Commission was convened last year to “examine and assess the interference by China, Russia, and other foreign states or non-state actors, including any potential impacts, to confirm the integrity of, and any impacts on, the 43rd and 44th general elections (2019 and 2021 elections) at the national and electoral district levels.”

The commission was formed after Trudeau’s special rapporteur, former Governor General David Johnston, failed in an investigation into CCP allegations after much delay. That inquiry was not done in public and was headed by Johnston, who is a “family friend” of Trudeau.

Johnston quit as “special rapporteur” after a public outcry following his conclusion that there should not be a public inquiry into the matter. Conservative MPs demanded Johnston be replaced over his ties to China and the Trudeau family.

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