Parliamentary committee agrees to take on probe of Winnipeg lab scandal

A parliamentary commit‐ tee has agreed to question key witnesses about how two scientists studying deadly viruses at a special lab in Winnipeg were able to work closely and covertly with China.

Conservative MP Michael

Chong brought forward a motion to the Canada-China committee Tuesday morning to study the recent release of federal documents related to the dismissal of two scien‐ tists - Dr. Xiangguo Qiu and her husband Keding Cheng from the National Microbi‐ ology Lab.

According to the docu‐ ments made public last month, the Canadian Secu‐ rity Intelligence Service (CSIS) concluded Qiu was "inten‐ tionally" sharing scientific in‐ formation and materials with China - potentially putting people's health in jeopardy.

The intelligence service al‐ so said it believed Cheng was not truthful in his interviews and had worked with a re‐ stricted visitor at PHAC "who is connected to [China's] Peo‐ ple's Liberation Army."

When confronted over her ties to China, "Ms. Qiu contin‐ ued to make blanket denials, feign ignorance or tell out‐ right lies," said a June 2020 CSIS assessment.

The Public Health Agency of Canada ultimately decided to dismiss the pair, stating that "Dr. Qui represents a very serious and credible danger to the government of Canada."

The motion passed unani‐ mously with minor amend‐ ments.

The approved motion calls on multiple players to take questions from committee members, including the head of departmental security at PHAC, CSIS director David Vi‐ gneault, the prime minister's national security adviser Nathalie Drouin and mem‐ bers of cabinet, including Health Minister Mark Holland and Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc.

According to reporting from The Globe and Mail, Qiu and Cheng are now working in China.