CALGARY — Opposition MPs have forced the Commons public safety committee to investigate how a Canadian accused of espionage obtained an internship at NATO military headquarters after passing a federal security check.Conservative and Bloc Québécois committee members demanded an emergency hearing during Parliament’s 13-week summer recess, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. House rules require the committee chair to comply, though no hearing date has been set.“Canadians need answers,” said Conservative MP Frank Caputo, who represents Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola.“How was an individual now facing serious espionage allegations able to secure an internship at NATO military headquarters?” Caputo said in a statement. “What security screening was conducted before she was granted access?”.Poilievre presses Carney on NATO spy arrest, terrorist listing.Biwei Zhang, a former University of Ottawa engineering student, was working as an intern at NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Mons, Belgium, when she was arrested July 24.Zhang had reportedly passed a routine background check conducted by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.“These allegations are deeply concerning and raise serious questions about Canada’s national security screening processes,” Caputo said.“This is not about partisan politics. It is about protecting Canadians, safeguarding sensitive information and maintaining the trust of our NATO allies.”Prime Minister Mark Carney has declined to provide details about the case, citing the continuing investigation.“It’s an active investigation so I am limited in what I can say,” Carney told reporters August 5.“The only thing I would add cryptically is Canadian officials have been involved from the start. Draw your own conclusions.”.NATO spy arrest puts Canada’s mandatory security screening under scrutiny.Federal Court records show a plaintiff with the same name was accused by the Public Service Commission in 2023 of fraud during an application process for a position with the Canada Border Services Agency.The commission said Zhang submitted two applications using different email addresses, prompting suspicions she was attempting to improve her chances of passing a federal civil service exam.“She took two standardized exams twice within the appointment process in order to increase her chances of being appointed,” investigators wrote.Zhang was prohibited from applying for another federal government position without the commission’s approval for one year and was ordered to complete an ethics course.Caputo said the committee must establish whether failures in Canada’s security screening system potentially exposed classified or sensitive information.“Canadians deserve to know what happened and Parliament has a responsibility to demand those answers,” he said.The committee “must determine whether there were gaps in Canada’s security screening system and whether those gaps could have exposed sensitive information.”
