RCMP contract awarded to company with ties to Chinese government, feds to review process
RCMP contract awarded to company with ties to Chinese government, feds to review process
Federal officials say they will review a contract awarded to a Canadian company last year, given its parent organization's ties to the Chinese government.
Ontario-based Sinclair Technologies Inc. received a contract in October 2021 worth $549,637 for radio frequency filters.
CTV News also found a number of other contracts, worth upwards of $90,000 each awarded to Sinclair Technologies since its parent company was bought in 2017, including with the RCMP, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the Department of National Defence.
The DND contract has no value associated with it but involved the delivery of antennas to bases. Contracts suggest the government has been awarding contracts to Sinclair since at least 2009.
In 2017, Hytera, which is partially owned by the Chinese government, purchased Sinclair Technologies' parent company, Norsat.
Not only are Hytera's products banned from being sold or imported in the United States over national security concerns, but the company also faces 21 espionage-related offences, including conspiring with former Motorola employees to steal trade secrets.
The RCMP provided a statement to CTV News saying the force's radio communications are protected with end-to-end encryption and that radio frequency filtration equipment "poses no security concerns nor does it allow access to radio communications."
"The contract was awarded in accordance with Federal Government procurement policies and regulations, and in accordance with the Trade Agreements," the statement reads.
"PSPC (Public Services and Procurement Canada) acted as the Contracting Authority for the Standing Offer Arrangement. The RCMP supported PSPC to ensure operational requirements were met."
CTV News has reached out to PSPC and DND but has not received a response. Fisheries and Oceans Canada was unable to respond by CTV's deadline.
In a statement, Sinclair said it is a trusted and independent company. It cited privacy reasons for being unable to comment further.
The revelation comes as the federal government attempts to take a tougher stance on China, unveiling its Indo-Pacific Strategy in November, which refers to China as "an increasingly disruptive global power."
During a media availability in Montreal on Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he found it "disconcerting" that amid warnings about foreign interference, parts of Canada's civil service "were signing contracts that have questionable levels of security for our operations and our national security institutions like the RCMP."
"So absolutely we're going to be following up on this, finding out first of all what needs to be done to ensure that our communications technology is secure but also make sure we're figuring out how this could continue to happen. And make sure Canada is not signing contracts with the lowest bidder that then turn around and leave (us) exposed to security flaws," Trudeau said.
"We will have some real questions for the independent public service that signed these contracts and we'll make sure that this is changed going forward, it's high time that happened."
'OUT OF A SPY NOVEL'
In response to many inquiries during question period Wednesday on Parliament Hill, Public Services and Procurement Minister Helena Jaczek said, "Of course, we are aware of the concerns surrounding the RCMP's contract with Sinclair Technologies and our government is looking into them and examining all potential options. We do take all measures to ensure the integrity of our infrastructure very, very seriously."
Speaking to reporters on his way to question period, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said the contract should be cancelled.
"I mean, it's almost something that you'd expect to be out of a spy novel, but characters in spy novels would never be that incompetent," Poilievre said.
"So the prime minister has to take the responsibility for his own government, rather than trying to blame everyone else all the time, and explain why he has put in place a system that allowed this contract to go ahead."
He added: "I think that we as a government, we as a country, should not allow countries and governments and government-owned enterprises that are known for espionage to sell technology that is related to our telecommunications in this country, because that raises risks of espionage and other security problems."
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino told reporters on Parliament Hill that he has instructed officials to look at the details of the contract and review how it was awarded.
"We're eyes wide open about the threats that are posed by hostile states and non-state actors, and that includes the PRC (People's Republic of China)," he said.
"One of the reasons why we put in place a process that looks at the potential opportunities or vectors for foreign interference in the context of contracts, is to secure Canadian national interests, to secure our national security."
Speaking on CTV's Power Play on Wednesday, former national security analyst Stephanie Carvin said the concern is not only that a Chinese-controlled company has received many federal government contracts, but that it is potentially undercutting Canadian companies, as well.
"You don't want to have a Chinese-controlled company basically providing the technology that's going to be used in very sensitive national security operations," Carvin said.
Also appearing on CTV's Power Play, U.S. ambassador to Canada David Cohen said he does not believe the awarding of these contracts erodes confidence in Canada, using the example of a federal government order in November for three Chinese companies to divest their investments in Canadian critical minerals.
"The whole world of cybersecurity, of Chinese ownership of American companies, Canadian companies, of contracting with Chinese-owned and controlled companies, is unbelievably dangerous and unbelievably complicated, and the key thing is whether the sensitivity is there to be able to look at those situations and to take action when you need to do that," he said.
With files from CTV News Parliamentary Bureau Writer and Producer Spencer Van Dyk, CTV Senior Digital Parliamentary Reporter Rachel Aiello and Reuters
A gay man is taking the federal government to court, challenging the constitutionality of a policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that he’s invited premiers to Ottawa for a 'working meeting' to discuss a health-care funding deal, on Feb. 7.
As the minority Liberals plot out their policy moves ahead of the 2023 parliamentary sitting, weighing heavily are commitments Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made to NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh that have to be acted on this year in order to uphold the two-party confidence-and-supply deal. Here is what needs to get done to keep the deal alive.
Governor of the Bank of Canada Tiff Macklem says he thinks Canada is 'turning the corner' on inflation, but he isn't ruling out that the country could enter a 'mild recession.' In an English-language broadcast exclusive interview with CTV National News Ottawa Bureau Chief Joyce Napier, Macklem encouraged Canadians to prepare a 'buffer' to withstand 'tougher times.'
After six weeks, more than 70 witnesses, and the submission of more than 7,000 documents into evidence, the public hearing portion of the Public Order Emergency Commission wrapped up on Friday.
Based on Justin Trudeau's first-day fail in the House of Commons, 'meeting the moment' is destined to become the most laughable slogan since the elder Pierre Trudeau’s disastrous campaign rallying cry in 1972, which insisted 'the land is strong' just as the economy tanked.
Like Jacinda Ardern, Justin Trudeau’s early handling of the pandemic was a reassuring communications exercise where harsh isolation measures went down easier with a hefty helping of government support, Don Martin writes in an exclusive opinion column for CTVNews.ca. 'But like the New Zealand Prime Minister, the Canadian PM's best days are arguably behind him. '
The Standing Committee on Transport gathered Thursday with MPs demanding an explanation for how that highly unusual Canadian winter combination of heavy snow and cold temperatures which delayed or cancelled thousands of post-pandemic reunions. What they got was a gold-medal finger-pointing performance, writes Don Martin in an exclusive opinion column for CTVNews.ca.
From a more coherent public health and carbon tax position, to cutting the 'Freedom Convoy' connection and smiling more, Pierre Poilievre has seven New Year's resolutions to woo the voters in 2023, writes Don Martin in an exclusive column for CTVNews.ca.
The oldest preserved vertebrate brain has been found in a 319-million-year-old fossilized fish skull that was removed from an English coal mine over a century ago.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is hosting an in-person meeting Friday with the provincial and territorial finance ministers in Toronto to discuss issues including the current economic environment and the transition to a clean economy.
Canada announced that it had called China's ambassador onto the carpet as Ottawa and Washington expressed their disapproval Friday over a high-altitude balloon found to have been hovering over sensitive sites in the United States.
The federal Liberals have withdrawn an amendment to their gun bill aimed at enshrining a definition of banned assault-style firearms, citing 'legitimate concerns' about the need for more consultation on the measure.
Medicago Inc., the Quebec-based drug manufacturer of a Canadian COVID-19 vaccine and other plant-based drugs, is being shut down by parent company Mitsubishi Chemical Group.
White-tailed deer may be a reservoir for COVID-19 variants of concern including Alpha, Delta and Gamma, according to new research out of Cornell University that raises questions about whether deer could re-introduce nearly extinct variants back into the human population.
Canada's newest millionaire, an 18-year-old university freshman from northern Ontario, has achieved a lot of firsts with a recent lottery win. Here is her story.
Canada announced that it had called China's ambassador onto the carpet as Ottawa and Washington expressed their disapproval Friday over a high-altitude balloon found to have been hovering over sensitive sites in the United States.
A group of airlines is asking the Supreme Court of Canada to hear their case after a lower court largely upheld the validity of Canada's air passenger bill of rights.
Medicago Inc., the Quebec-based drug manufacturer of a Canadian COVID-19 vaccine and other plant-based drugs, is being shut down by parent company Mitsubishi Chemical Group.
Canada's newest millionaire, an 18-year-old university freshman from northern Ontario, has achieved a lot of firsts with a recent lottery win. Here is her story.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Friday that industrialized countries in the Group of Seven are imposing a price cap on refined Russian oil products such as diesel and kerosene, as part of a coalition that includes Australia and a tentative agreement from the European Union.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed a planned high-stakes weekend diplomatic trip to China as the Biden administration weighs a broader response to the discovery of a high-altitude Chinese balloon flying over sensitive sites in the western United States, U.S. officials said Friday.
China said Friday that a balloon spotted over American airspace was used for weather research and was blown off course, despite U.S. suspicion it was spying. The discovery further strained already tense relations between Beijing and Washington.
A Tennessee board on Friday suspended the emergency medical technician licenses of two former Memphis Fire Department employees for failing to render critical care to Tyre Nichols after he took a beating from police that ultimately killed him.
Lives were 'shattered' when Kabul fell into Taliban hands, and thousands remain in limbo, unable to return to Afghanistan. CTV News' Genevieve Beauchemin recalls her visit to makeshift refugee camps set up in Pakistani parks, and the stories she heard during that time.
Police in southeastern France have arrested a convicted murderer linked to Italy's most powerful organized crime group, the 'ndrangheta, who was on the run for 16 years, Interpol and Italian police said on Thursday.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is hosting an in-person meeting Friday with the provincial and territorial finance ministers in Toronto to discuss issues including the current economic environment and the transition to a clean economy.
The federal Liberals have withdrawn an amendment to their gun bill aimed at enshrining a definition of banned assault-style firearms, citing 'legitimate concerns' about the need for more consultation on the measure.
Paid subscriptions to on-demand care are among the many strategies primary health-care providers in Ontario are adopting in order to meet increased demand for access to doctors in the past year, while also managing staffing shortages.
Ontario fully supports the federal government's push to make health-care funding contingent on data reporting, the province said Thursday as it announced a plan to boost access to primary care doctors.
White-tailed deer may be a reservoir for COVID-19 variants of concern including Alpha, Delta and Gamma, according to new research out of Cornell University that raises questions about whether deer could re-introduce nearly extinct variants back into the human population.
Using a device that might be described as a super-duper cocktail shaker, scientists have fashioned a previously unknown form of ice - one that might exist on our solar system's icy moons - in research that sheds light on water's behaviour under extreme conditions.
The oldest preserved vertebrate brain has been found in a 319-million-year-old fossilized fish skull that was removed from an English coal mine over a century ago.
Chinese scientists have successfully cloned three 'super cows' that can produce an unusually high amount of milk, state media reported, hailing it as a breakthrough for China's dairy industry to reduce its dependence on imported breeds.
Shania Twain's sixth studio album is her first since having open-throat surgery in 2018 to strengthen her vocal muscles after a long battle with Lyme disease. In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Twain spoke candidly about the album, which is out Friday, regaining her confidence, singing during throat surgery and preparing for her global upcoming tour, which kicks off April 28.
After a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic that brutally brought one of Europe's oldest Mardi Gras celebrations to a halt -- and the Kerstens to the verge of bankruptcy -- celebrations are back with a vengeance this winter.
A podcast mention of the southern Alberta town of Vulcan, and its embracement of all things Star Trek, has prompted festival officials to invite Conan O'Brien to lead its parade.
A Yukon court has quashed government approval for a mining exploration project, siding with a First Nation that argued there was a failure to properly consult it about the project on its traditional territory.
A group of airlines is asking the Supreme Court of Canada to hear their case after a lower court largely upheld the validity of Canada's air passenger bill of rights.
Canada's egg industry appears to be quietly sidestepping widespread shortages and wildly spiking prices affecting other countries, and some say supply management is to thank.
A Portuguese dog named Bobi has been named the world’s oldest living dog by Guinness World Records, which claims the pooch is also the oldest canine ever recorded.
Canada's newest millionaire, an 18-year-old university freshman from northern Ontario, has achieved a lot of firsts with a recent lottery win. Here is her story.
The world’s largest international Arctic sporting event is underway in northern Alberta, where athletes compete in unique games significant to the cultural identity of the North.
Canada's Bianca Andreescu advanced to the semifinal of the Thailand Open tennis tournament with a 6-0, 7-6 (3) win over Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk on Friday.
Formula One's governing body confirmed the six engine providers for the 2026-30 cycle on Friday which aims to use sustainable fuels and greater electric power.
Ford will return to Formula One as the engine provider for Red Bull Racing in a partnership announced Friday that begins with immediate technical support this season and engines in 2026.
