The Blueprint: Canada's Conservative Podcast - March 08, 2018


Aecon sale should require national security review

Topics
ACON takeover by Chinese company Aiken takeover and Chinese control concerns
Hosted by
Jamie Schmal
Mentioned
Tony Clement Pierre Pauly Trudeau Richard Fadden Pierre Paulyas Norsat Aiken
Budget 2018： Trudeau’s budget fails Canadians Justin Trudeau’s values test

Episode Stats


Length

13 minutes

Words per minute

145.07

Word count

1,947

Sentence count

178

Harmful content

Hate speech

2

sentences flagged


Summary

Summaries generated with gmurro/bart-large-finetuned-filtered-spotify-podcast-summ .

In this segment of The Blueprint, Canada's Conservative Podcast, we are going to have a great conversation with Pierre Paulyu, the Member of Parliament for Charbonneau-Saint-Charles, the Public Safety and Security Shadow Minister. We're going to talk about ACON, the takeover by a Chinese company, and why this is important for national security.

Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
Hate speech classifications generated with facebook/roberta-hate-speech-dynabench-r4-target .
Topics generated with Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct.
Hosts, guests, and mentioned names generated with spaCy (en_core_web_sm), reconciled against Wikidata.
00:00:00.000 For this segment of The Blueprint, Canada's Conservative Podcast, we are going to have a great conversation with Pierre Paulyu, the Member of Parliament for Charbot Haute-Saint-Charles, the Public Safety and Security Shadow Minister.
00:00:13.060 We're going to talk about ACON, the takeover by a Chinese company and why this is important for national security, that it be done right and overseen right.
00:00:23.640 You're listening to The Blueprint, Canada's Conservative Podcast.
00:00:26.800 Is the Prime Minister actually saying that taxpayers should be on the hook when he breaks the law?
00:00:40.400 What is it going to take for the Prime Minister to have any respect for any laws in this country that may curb his out-of-control behaviour?
00:00:50.540 All these deficits leading to nothing but burying Canadians in taxes.
00:00:54.660 And now, here's your host, Tony Clement.
00:01:04.100 Welcome to The Blueprint, Canada's Conservative Podcast.
00:01:07.060 I'm your host, Tony Clement, Member of Parliament.
00:01:09.660 And we are going to be talking about a very important file with Pierre Paulyu, who is the Member of Parliament for Charbot Haute-Saint-Charles in Quebec.
00:01:20.060 Pierre, thank you for being here.
00:01:21.160 Thanks, thanks to you.
00:01:22.120 It's great to have you on the program.
00:01:23.500 We're going to be talking about a file involving a Canadian company, ACON, and its takeover, I would say literally, by the Chinese Communist Party.
00:01:34.100 So, first of all, Pierre, give us a bit of an explanation.
00:01:37.100 What is ACON?
00:01:38.120 Why is this important to the Canadian economy?
00:01:40.840 So, thanks, Tony, for the question.
00:01:42.380 So, first of all, ACON, you know, it's a massive construction company in Canada.
00:01:46.520 It's providing services to private and public sector clients across the three core segments of infrastructure, energy, and mining.
00:01:53.540 You know, and also this company built some infrastructure for the national defence facilities and nuclear power plants.
00:02:00.780 So, it's very critical for Canada.
00:02:02.220 Now, you're the shadow minister for public safety and security.
00:02:06.760 So, this is why you're interested in the file because ACON has capacity and has experience building in things that would be considered part of our public safety and security.
00:02:21.060 Is that right?
00:02:21.400 Exactly, exactly, especially for defence or, I mean, if you have a new infrastructure for a communication company or whatsoever, it's important to keep the control of everything there.
00:02:33.600 And it's why we have a lot of concern with Chinese, you know.
00:02:36.600 So, that's the next stage of this.
00:02:38.160 So, ACON, which is a Canadian company, a massive construction firm, as Pierre has indicated, has also been the target of a takeover by a Chinese company.
00:02:51.780 So, talk a little bit about that.
00:02:53.400 Yes, the company is called, it's a CCC, four times C, international.
00:02:58.520 And it's, this company is used to have overseas investment.
00:03:02.780 And, actually, the problem is we're supposed, our government is supposed to make some investigation to the purpose of the company, who isn't, and they don't want to.
00:03:14.240 So, Government of Canada and Mr. Trudeau don't want to investigate.
00:03:18.920 So, because of the size of this takeover bid, it automatically is reviewed under the Investment Canada Act because it's a foreign company buying a domestic company.
00:03:31.280 The other side of this is there, what the Conservative Caucus is trying to say is there should be a national security review on top of just the regular review, whether this is a net benefit to Canada.
00:03:44.300 Talk a little bit about that.
00:03:45.820 Yes, like you said, we have a process here in Canada to review this kind of transaction.
00:03:52.900 And, each time a foreign government wants to buy a huge company like Aiken or some other company, there's some procedure that we have to have some critical investigation to see who is behind this company, where the monies come from, that kind of question.
00:04:15.660 And, actually, for Aiken, we asked last year the government to make some investigation, and they don't want to.
00:04:22.800 So, we really don't understand why.
00:04:24.820 Government of Canada don't want to make some investigation around CCCC about the takeover of a huge company like Aiken.
00:04:35.140 Exactly, because of the military aspects, the involvement in constructing nuclear power facilities.
00:04:43.200 At the moment, Aiken is under Chinese control.
00:04:46.180 We can't know what they will do.
00:04:49.420 So, if, for example, they built some infrastructure for a military base somewhere in Canada, they can put some mics or some camera or whatever you want in the building.
00:05:00.300 Right.
00:05:00.620 And we cannot control this.
00:05:02.860 So, it's a very important security concern for us.
00:05:06.320 And, again, we really don't understand why the Government of Canada, Mr. Trudeau, and his government don't want to check everything around this control.
00:05:16.360 Now, one of the things that came out in the media investigations on this was that this company was not only a company from the People's Republic of China, but that there was a subsidiary controlling interest by the Chinese Communist Party.
00:05:34.940 This was of even greater concern when that came out.
00:05:37.240 Yes, because, you know, sometimes when we talk about China, people may be confused.
00:05:43.420 You know, there are some Chinese interests who are OK, can be OK with us.
00:05:50.340 But when it's the Communist Chinese government who is in control of this interest, it's totally different for us.
00:05:58.440 You know, we cannot let the Communist, the mainland China Communist Party of China control our company.
00:06:06.260 Right, right.
00:06:06.940 And this is this is the thing, because, you know, we do have companies that are, you know, in state run economies like China or Russia or Saudi Arabia.
00:06:18.000 But if they're acting as market based companies, if they're listed on the New York Exchange, let's say, or the Toronto Exchange, then they are reacting to market based signals.
00:06:32.980 But if you're a state owned enterprise taking direction from, in this case, the Chinese Communist government, that's an entirely different thing, isn't it?
00:06:42.680 Yes, exactly. And at this moment, you cannot have any control, the bank or anyone you can't think.
00:06:50.940 You can't control. And at the moment, you can't control the business.
00:06:55.480 You cannot have any information. So it's very critical for us, for Canada.
00:07:00.100 And, you know, a few weeks ago, when the Public Safety Committee, we asked some question to Richard Fadden, the former National Security Advisor.
00:07:11.460 And he's very concerned about China, actually.
00:07:15.100 He said that our government, the liberal government, is not really serious with the threat from China.
00:07:22.300 Because this is a third or fourth instance where a Chinese-based company has bought something and has become very controversial.
00:07:33.580 I remember the Norsat deal.
00:07:35.400 Norsat, last year, two years ago. And actually, there's Nsang.
00:07:39.240 Nsang is a Vancouver base. It's a property for retirement, retirement housing.
00:07:47.880 Right.
00:07:48.600 And actually, again, China, so they have some problem with the former owner, is accused of kind of criminal accusations.
00:08:01.060 Like corruption or something?
00:08:02.080 Corruption and so, whatsoever. So Chinese and the government of China, the Chinese, have just taken over this company in Vancouver. 0.96
00:08:12.200 So actually, people who live in this building, they're home by China. 0.99
00:08:16.800 Yeah. So this is a retirement home or a nursing home?
00:08:19.260 Yeah, exactly.
00:08:19.580 And these are Canadian residents.
00:08:22.100 Yes.
00:08:22.200 And all of a sudden, the Chinese government is running the facility.
00:08:24.460 Exactly. So, again, it's another time, another big company in Canada, take over by the Chinese government.
00:08:34.720 And just to remind listeners on the Norsat deal, that's a satellite technology company that had a lot of contracts with the U.S. Defense Department.
00:08:44.040 And they were taken over, and there was no national security review, and the local government ushered that one in without much debate.
00:08:52.100 And I spoke with congressmen in Washington last year about that, and they're very concerned about our government.
00:08:57.780 They don't understand why it's worked like this in Canada.
00:09:01.020 And especially for Norsat, also, it's, you know, the moment you are, the Chinese control, a Canadian company, no, a Chinese company, who are involved in communication, satellite, you know, that's incredible.
00:09:15.080 And we can't understand, again, why our government.
00:09:19.120 So, in the case of ACON, after the Conservative Caucus, yourself, Pierre Paulus, and myself, others, did raise the issues about the national security side of the deal,
00:09:33.520 the Liberal government finally conceded that there has to be a national security review.
00:09:38.720 Where does it stand now?
00:09:40.060 Each time, we always have to put some pressure on this government,
00:09:43.900 because if we don't put some pressure from our side, they don't know anything about security.
00:09:49.760 Right.
00:09:49.940 They don't.
00:09:50.540 I think Mr. Trudeau and his government don't believe that security is important for Canadians.
00:09:55.220 We really don't understand.
00:09:56.980 But we are there to push, to push the government, to ask a question each single day here in the House of Commons.
00:10:02.800 And actually, it's a good thing that they understand.
00:10:07.440 Well, now we actually have, the Liberal government has conceded a national security review.
00:10:12.740 We should watch that very closely, shouldn't we, to see whether they do, to see whether they do a full review, as they promised to do.
00:10:20.180 That's the first thing.
00:10:21.000 And to see whether they listen to the national security experts within the government,
00:10:26.880 whether it's the spy agency CESIS or the RCMP.
00:10:31.280 RCMP also knows about organized crime, these kinds of issues.
00:10:35.200 They should be listening to those people and make it public what their considerations were.
00:10:40.500 Yes, and actually, we're just finishing the study of C-59, the bill about security, national security.
00:10:48.660 On our side, we put a lot of amendments, but we can't say it's going well, actually, to be honest.
00:10:56.840 Right.
00:10:57.000 Okay, I think they're open to listen, what we have to say.
00:11:01.560 And the first thing they want to change from the C-51, the bill we put in place after the Ottawa attacks, you know.
00:11:09.000 But actually, C-59 is not so bad because they don't change so much from C-51.
00:11:14.780 They just make it a bit clearer.
00:11:17.340 Tinkering around the edges, perhaps.
00:11:19.000 Yeah, exactly.
00:11:19.520 Well, I mean, and look, national security, public safety should be a nonpartisan issue.
00:11:25.740 Exactly.
00:11:25.920 We're not trying to make it a partisan issue as conservatives.
00:11:28.300 We just want the best for Canada, keeping us protected.
00:11:31.760 Yes, Tony.
00:11:32.240 You're true, Tony, and we are all here.
00:11:35.120 All the MPs in the House of Commons are supposed to be here to work for all Canadians.
00:11:39.600 And all we want is a safe Canada and to live in the best security.
00:11:45.180 Well, the jury is out on ACON.
00:11:47.100 We're going to follow that one very closely, of course.
00:11:50.000 Pierre Pallieu, thank you for being on the program.
00:11:52.960 And thank you for taking Canadians' security concerns very seriously.
00:11:58.600 And we here at The Blueprint will watch very closely, of course, and see how ACON is dealt with by our security agencies.
00:12:08.020 And just to finish, thanks to the people who listened to the program.
00:12:12.200 So my English is not so good.
00:12:13.840 You did very well.
00:12:14.640 It's a Friday to see you every single day.
00:12:16.220 Thank you.
00:12:16.540 Yeah, très bien fait.
00:12:17.500 Merci pour votre participation.
00:12:20.720 Merci.
00:12:21.160 Thank you.
00:12:21.560 And thank you very much for listening to The Blueprint once again.
00:12:25.540 We're very much looking forward to continuing to increase our membership and our subscriptions.
00:12:30.400 And it's wonderful to have this audience.
00:12:32.940 We will have another segment of The Blueprint coming up in a few days.
00:12:37.020 Thank you for listening.
00:12:37.700 Thank you for listening to The Blueprint, Canada's Conservative Podcast.
00:12:44.700 To find more episodes, interviews, and in-depth discussions of politics in Canada, search for The Blueprint on iTunes or visit podcast.conservative.ca.
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