Word that Canada's spy agency suspects several B.C. public servants are under foreign influence is news to councillors in Vancouver, who worry the vague claim casts doubt on all politicians in the province. Richard F
adden director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, dropped the bombshell on Tuesday, alleging two provincial cabinet ministers in Canada and several municipal politicians in B.C. are under the control of governments in China and the Middle East.
"What I'm struck by is what little information there is," Vancouver Councillor Geoff Meggs said. "When statements like this are made, it's important to have examples. As it is, every politician now, I suppose, becomes under some sort of suspicion." Meggs says he remains unaware of any investigation of Vancouver councillors or staff. Fadden declined to name any of the politicans being investigated, but said they have not hidden their associations with foreign governments. He said there are indications they have shifted their public policies because of their relationships. Meggs said he was at a loss to guess what kind of influence a foreign power might hope to assert by infiltrating local politics. "I don't want to minimize the power of municipal politicians, I'm just not sure what they could do to assist a foreign government. Maybe I'm being naïve," he said.
Fadden's comments came just hours before China's president Hu Jintao was to arrive in Canada on a rare state visit in advance of the weekend's G20 summit. His first visit to Canada since 2005 follows Harper's ice-breaker to China last December, highlighted by a public rebuke of the prime minister for not having paid proper heed to China's growing importance. There was no immediate reaction from Beijing on the serious allegations leveled by the head of the secret service.
No comments:
Post a Comment