Ottawa, ON – Frank Caputo, Conservative Shadow Minister for Public Safety, issued the following statement after Conservative and Bloc Québécois members called for an emergency meeting of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security to examine serious allegations of espionage involving a former Canadian intern at NATO headquarters in Belgium:
“These allegations are deeply concerning and raise serious questions about Canada’s national security screening processes.
“Canadians need answers. How was an individual now facing serious espionage allegations able to secure an internship at NATO’s military headquarters? What security screening was conducted before she was granted access? Were any concerns identified by Canadian authorities or our allies? And were appropriate information-sharing and monitoring measures in place?
“The Public Safety Minister has said that he will investigate Canada’s security screening processes and ‘get to the bottom of what happened.’ Canadians deserve to know what happened, and Parliament has a responsibility to demand those answers.
“This is not about partisan politics. It is about protecting Canadians, safeguarding sensitive information and maintaining the trust of our NATO allies.
“That is why Conservative and Bloc Québécois members are calling for an emergency meeting of the Public Safety and National Security Committee. Parliament must determine whether there were gaps in Canada’s security screening system and whether those gaps could have exposed sensitive information or put the security of Canada and our allies at risk.
“National security cannot be taken for granted. Canadians and our allies must be confident that the people given access to sensitive institutions are properly vetted and that potential threats are identified before they become security failures.
“The government must provide Canadians with answers, and Parliament must ensure that it does.”