Photo: Jacques Boissinot The Canadian Press “Nothing leads us to believe that there is interference or anything else in Quebec,” insisted Wednesday the Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel.
Patrice Bergeron – The Canadian Press in Quebec
Posted at 3:47 p.m.
- Quebec
The City of Brossard supports the request for an investigation into foreign interference made by the Parti Québécois (PQ), following the federal report on this issue tabled on Monday.
In a letter addressed to the Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel, the mayor of Brossard, Doreen Assaad, recalls that a councilor of the municipality is director of two organizations targeted by an RCMP investigation, for having exploited police stations Chinese on Canadian soil.
The City's “significant concerns” regarding “foreign influence during the last municipal elections […] remain unanswered”, we can say read.
The Municipal Commission refused to intervene and PQ MP Pascal Paradis deplores that the City is “left to its own devices in this crucial issue for local democracy “.
During question period on Wednesday, he asked Mr. Bonnardel to launch an investigation.
“The question is to know what Quebec’s strategy is to preserve its democratic institutions,” argued Mr. Paradis.
“There are municipal elections which are come, there are elections in Quebec coming up, you have to be ready. »
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Mr. Bonnardel indicated that the state security directorate in his ministry is in daily contact with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), with Interpol and with the major intelligence agencies.
“Nothing leads us to believe that there is interference or anything else in Quebec,” he insisted.
According to him, the only incident to report is linked to the arrest, in November 2022, of a Hydro-Québec researcher. The RCMP's Integrated National Security Team opened an investigation in August 2022 after receiving a complaint from the Crown corporation's Corporate Security Branch.
Yuesheng Wang was charged with attempting to obtain trade secrets, unauthorized use of a computer, fraud to obtain trade secrets, breach of trust by a public official, as well as two counts of preparatory acts for economic espionage activities on behalf of the People's Republic of China.
Last April, he pleaded not guilty.
In the case of Brossard, it is municipal councilor Xixi Li, who is director of the Center Sino-Québec de la Rive-Sud and the Chinese Family Service of Greater Montreal.
The RCMP has confirmed that it is investigating these two organizations suspected of serving as fronts for Chinese police stations.
Xixi Li and the Center Sino-Québec de la Rive-Sud is suing the mayor of Brossard for defamation and demanding a total amount of $68,000 for moral and punitive damages.