They did what? Global TV alleges that a Canadian-born MP of Chinese heritage secretly advised a Chinese diplomat in 2021 against releasing the ‘Two Michaels.’.Why? Because it would benefit the Conservative Party..If true, this turns alleged Chinese electoral interference from a spicy story for the politico-chattering classes into an all-Canadian issue that could bring down this Liberal government. One cannot exaggerate what this means for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has thus far stood behind the MP in question, Han Dong. (Don Valley North.).But just a few weeks ago Trudeau, still ignoring CSIS warnings that Dong might be involved in alleged Chinese electoral interference, said he was “extraordinarily happy” to have Dong as a Liberal MP and warned off critics: “I want to make everyone understand fully that Dan Hong is an outstanding member of our team and suggestions that he somehow not loyal to Canada should not be entertained.”.As for Dong himself, he denies the allegations. However, if validated they take him perilously close to a charge of treason. It is hard to imagine how a member of a governing party who gives advice against the interests of Canadians to a foreign power could escape the accusation..Treason is basically a test of whose side you are on. Global’s published details, based on not one but two separate national security sources, are shocking: Dong allegedly advised a Chinese diplomat that “Beijing should hold off freeing Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.”.Both had been languishing uncomfortably in Chinese jails for more than two years, falsely accused of espionage. They were in fact hostages, taken in retaliation for Canada’s arrest and detention of Meng Wanzhou, the Huawei executive facing extradition to the United States..But, Global’s sources are adamant and confirm each other’s allegation to Global’s Sam Cooper that Dong told China’s Toronto consul general, one Han Tao, that the Conservative Party, which had been pushing the Liberal government hard on the ongoing imprisonment of Kovrig and Spavor, would benefit from an early release..We will reserve further comment on the specifics for when more details are known, including the prime minister’s response..Meanwhile, this potentially has all the gunpowder needed to blow up Trudeau’s government. The allegations of Chinese interference in two Canadian federal elections (and possibly the election of the City of Vancouver’s mayor) are bad enough..Yet deeply worrisome as those allegations are, they are also arcane and easily glossed over by people who don’t follow politics..The allegations concerning Han Dong are of a different stamp. They compare in intensity and comprehensibility to the scandalous revelations during the early years of this century that preceded Stephen Harper’s election in 2006, when it was learned that in the AdScam scandal, Liberals had pocketed public money..That, theft, ordinary Canadians understood. It was a Big Moment that precipitated the end of the long Liberal tenure on power, and kept them out of office for almost ten years..They also understand that playing against the home team is an offence against us all. This therefore may turn out to be a similarly Big Moment..Canadians can forgive a lot that they don’t follow closely enough to have strong feelings about. But they will not forgive Trudeau if it turns out that Global’s allegations are true, that Kovrig and Spavor spent a moment longer in a Chinese jail than they needed to and that the prime minister himself either did not or would not heed the warnings of the country’s security agency..Last week, we were speculating about whether the CSIS sources, if exposed, would face charges of treason for spilling the beans on the Liberal government. Might it instead turn out to be a member of the government itself who must answer the charge?.And by the way, if the story stands, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh must answer the question: What will it take, if not this, for him to dump the Liberals and let the voters decide their fate?
They did what? Global TV alleges that a Canadian-born MP of Chinese heritage secretly advised a Chinese diplomat in 2021 against releasing the ‘Two Michaels.’.Why? Because it would benefit the Conservative Party..If true, this turns alleged Chinese electoral interference from a spicy story for the politico-chattering classes into an all-Canadian issue that could bring down this Liberal government. One cannot exaggerate what this means for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has thus far stood behind the MP in question, Han Dong. (Don Valley North.).But just a few weeks ago Trudeau, still ignoring CSIS warnings that Dong might be involved in alleged Chinese electoral interference, said he was “extraordinarily happy” to have Dong as a Liberal MP and warned off critics: “I want to make everyone understand fully that Dan Hong is an outstanding member of our team and suggestions that he somehow not loyal to Canada should not be entertained.”.As for Dong himself, he denies the allegations. However, if validated they take him perilously close to a charge of treason. It is hard to imagine how a member of a governing party who gives advice against the interests of Canadians to a foreign power could escape the accusation..Treason is basically a test of whose side you are on. Global’s published details, based on not one but two separate national security sources, are shocking: Dong allegedly advised a Chinese diplomat that “Beijing should hold off freeing Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.”.Both had been languishing uncomfortably in Chinese jails for more than two years, falsely accused of espionage. They were in fact hostages, taken in retaliation for Canada’s arrest and detention of Meng Wanzhou, the Huawei executive facing extradition to the United States..But, Global’s sources are adamant and confirm each other’s allegation to Global’s Sam Cooper that Dong told China’s Toronto consul general, one Han Tao, that the Conservative Party, which had been pushing the Liberal government hard on the ongoing imprisonment of Kovrig and Spavor, would benefit from an early release..We will reserve further comment on the specifics for when more details are known, including the prime minister’s response..Meanwhile, this potentially has all the gunpowder needed to blow up Trudeau’s government. The allegations of Chinese interference in two Canadian federal elections (and possibly the election of the City of Vancouver’s mayor) are bad enough..Yet deeply worrisome as those allegations are, they are also arcane and easily glossed over by people who don’t follow politics..The allegations concerning Han Dong are of a different stamp. They compare in intensity and comprehensibility to the scandalous revelations during the early years of this century that preceded Stephen Harper’s election in 2006, when it was learned that in the AdScam scandal, Liberals had pocketed public money..That, theft, ordinary Canadians understood. It was a Big Moment that precipitated the end of the long Liberal tenure on power, and kept them out of office for almost ten years..They also understand that playing against the home team is an offence against us all. This therefore may turn out to be a similarly Big Moment..Canadians can forgive a lot that they don’t follow closely enough to have strong feelings about. But they will not forgive Trudeau if it turns out that Global’s allegations are true, that Kovrig and Spavor spent a moment longer in a Chinese jail than they needed to and that the prime minister himself either did not or would not heed the warnings of the country’s security agency..Last week, we were speculating about whether the CSIS sources, if exposed, would face charges of treason for spilling the beans on the Liberal government. Might it instead turn out to be a member of the government itself who must answer the charge?.And by the way, if the story stands, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh must answer the question: What will it take, if not this, for him to dump the Liberals and let the voters decide their fate?
