MPs question health agency about dismissal of National Microbiology Lab scientists

Federal officials at the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg faced accusations of bureaucratic incompetence from MPs during a House committee hearing on Friday. Public Health Agency of Canada head Heather Jeffrey defended the security protocols at the lab, stating that they acted as expeditiously as possible given the information available.

The committee was investigating the handling of two researchers, Xiangguo Qiu and her husband Keding Cheng, who left Canada after their security clearances were revoked over concerns about their loyalty to China. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service found that Qiu lied about her collaborations with Chinese government agencies and was reckless in her dealings with them.

Despite the allegations, Qiu and Cheng have not faced criminal charges, and they are Canadian citizens who have requested a review of the decision to revoke their security clearances. MPs grilled officials over why Qiu was allowed to continue sensitive work while under investigation, with Bloc MP René Villemure expressing shock that no PHAC employees had faced consequences.

New processes and policies have been implemented to detect collaborations and affiliations more quickly in the future. Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith questioned whether these protocols would have prevented the unauthorized shipment of viruses to China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology. MPs are seeking a timeline on when cabinet was made aware of security breaches at the lab to ensure faster responses to similar incidents in the future.