How did firm with ties to China get RCMP contract? MPs vote for committee probe – National | 24CA News
The House of Commons trade and expertise committee will research how a Canadian agency with ties to China was beforehand awarded RCMP communications work.
Members of the standing committee voted on Monday in favour of a research right into a 2021 deal involving Ontario-based Sinclair Technologies, a communications firm that was awarded a $549,637 contract for RCMP radio communications work. The RCMP suspended that contract final Thursday.
Read extra:
RCMP scraps tech contract value $550K with agency tied to China after outcry
Read More
The contract got here below hearth final week when Radio-Canada first reported Sinclair’s dad or mum firm, Norsat International, was bought by Hytera Communications in 2017, and reported that the Chinese authorities owns about 10 per cent of Hytera via an funding fund. The agency is blacklisted over nationwide safety issues by the United States Federal Communications Commission.
“I think that that is important, that we actually requested this meeting and that we undertake this study,” stated Bloc Québécois MP Sébastien Lemire, the committee’s vice chair, in French in the course of the assembly.
“Now, ministers are going to be accountable depending on the questions that come from the committee. I think that we have to do this.”
Committee members voted in favour of a Bloc Québécois modification to an authentic movement proposed by Conservative MP Rick Perkins, who can be a committee vice-chair.
The Bloc’s movement referred to as for Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino to look earlier than the committee “as soon as possible” as a part of “a study concerning the contract awarded to Sinclair Technologies, which is owned by Norsat International, a subsidiary of Chinese telecommunications firm Hytera, a partly state-owned enterprise by the Communist Party Government of the People’s Republic of China.”
The committee additionally adopted the social gathering’s movement to listen to from Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne, as rapidly as attainable, on “any questions that the members of the committee deem relevant.”
Following Radio-Canada’s Dec. 7 report, the RCMP put the 2021 work order with Sinclair on pause “until further notice” pending a evaluation of put in tools. The contract for radio frequency filtering tools was legitimate till March 31, 2024.
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Kim Chamberland informed Global News on Dec. 8 that whereas RCMP radio communications “are protected by end-to-end encryption” and radio frequency filtration tools “poses no security concerns” or permits entry to these communications, the tools shall be reviewed “to determine if any further action is required.”
Hytera, which owns Sinclair’s dad or mum firm, faces 21 costs associated to espionage within the United States for allegedly stealing expertise from Motorola Solutions. The firm was charged in February. It was blacklisted in 2021 alongside ZTE and Huawei. Those two corporations have been banned from collaborating within the growth of Canada’s 5G telecommunications community in May.
The revelation drew criticism in Ottawa, and descriptions of the deal as “disconcerting” by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose authorities not too long ago unveiled coverage resets on how Canada handles funding, cooperation, competitors and strategic challenges posed by China.
Sinclair Technologies has been awarded 24 authorities contracts by Public Service and Procurement Canada since 2009. Sinclair has achieved work for the RCMP, the Department of National Defence (DND) and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
The majority of the 11 RCMP contracts awarded to Sinclair through the years have been for “antennas, waveguides and related equipment.” Two contracts got for “radio and television communications equipment, except airborne.” While some RCMP contracts don’t have any worth related to them, one contract that was awarded in 2013 and expired in 2018 was value $1.5 million.
Sinclair was awarded a contract for Fisheries and Ocean in 2019 to do structural and prefabricated work. The contract was value $93,020 and expired in 2020.
Meanwhile, Sinclair was given 12 contracts value a complete of $252,296 for work between 2009 and 2013. National Defence headquarters, Maritime Forces Atlantic, Canadian Special Operations Forces Command headquarters and CFB Esquimalt have been listed as the first finish customers.
A division official informed Global News the contracts gave the impression to be primarily for antenna units that amplify and obtain however don’t transmit data. The division is probing the contracts.
“We are aware of the concerns surrounding Sinclair Technologies. We are investigating these procurements and the way in which this equipment is used, alongside counterparts in other government departments,” a DND spokesperson stated final Thursday.
“The government will take all measures necessary to ensure the security of our infrastructure.”
— with information from Global News’ Sean Boynton and The Associated Press
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
