QUESTION PERIOD — Public Safety
Carleton University--Confucius Institute
May 8, 2019
My question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate. Last month, the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians concluded that China represents a clear threat to Canada’s national security. Its annual report said that the Chinese Communist Party had, and I quote:
. . . a number of official organizations that try to influence Chinese communities and politicians to adopt pro-China positions . . . .
Such state-sponsored organizations like the Confucius Institute are known for conducting propaganda activities in our universities and operating as the hub for Chinese agents to spy on our communities and coerce our students to do their bidding.
These fully Chinese-funded cultural centres push back whenever we question China’s record of denying human rights, ask about the Tiananmen Square massacre, denounce forced re‑education camps or concentration camps of up to 1 million Uighur Muslims, Tibet, recognize Taiwan or discuss other violations committed by the Chinese totalitarian government. It is absolutely unacceptable and unthinkable that a foreign country would be able to buy its way into our schools, dictate our curriculum, intimidate our communities and seek to influence our students for their own political gain.
Will the government take this seriously and take steps to terminate this institute like the Province of New Brunswick?
I thank the honourable senator for his question. Let me assure him that the Government of Canada takes the matter of Canada’s national interests and Canada’s security at the highest level in its relationships with a whole myriad of international actors, both countries and non-national actors.
With regard to the specific comments and questions of the honourable senator, the institutes to which he refers are not in the jurisdiction of the Government of Canada, and the arrangements that have been made are those of the responsible agencies to respond to.
At a time when Canadian-Chinese relations are in crisis, Canadian canola imports and exports have been banned from China and when Canadians have been arbitrarily detained, my question is whether it is appropriate for the government leader in the Senate to be affiliated with an institute that has been accused of inappropriate links with China’s intelligence agencies. Can you explain why your name is still listed under the advisory board of the Confucius Institute of Carleton University?
I thank you for bringing this to my attention. I have no idea. As the honourable senator will know, when I was appointed to the Senate, I had to resign from all of my philanthropic and other professional activities, and I did so. I am completely unaware of the website to which the honourable senator refers.
