The Hon. Ed Fast, Conservative Shadow Minister for Innovation, Science and Industry, and Raquel Dancho, Conservative Shadow Minister for Public Safety, wrote the following letter to Minister Mendicino and Minister Champagne regarding recent news that Canadian telecom companies are seeking over $1 billion in compensation from the taxpayer’s to remove and replace Huawei infrastructure from their networks:

We are writing to you in light of recent reports indicating that Canada’s largest telecommunications companies are seeking over $1 billion in compensation from taxpayers if Huawei is banned from Canada’s telecom networks.

For over three years, security experts, allied countries, the House of Commons, and Canadians have called on your government to act on serious national security concerns and ban Huawei from Canada’s 5G infrastructure. All of Canada’s Five Eyes allies have either banned or severely restricted the use of Huawei in their 5G infrastructure due to concerns that such technology could be used for espionage purposes and undermine our broader security and economic interests.

The inability of the federal government to show leadership on this file and take decisive action has been exploited by Huawei, which has sold hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of critical equipment to Canadian companies each year that have been installed in their telecom networks from across the country

Delays and indecision by the Liberal government have now come to roost. Canadian telecom companies are seeking over $1 billion in compensation from the taxpayer to remove and replace Huawei infrastructure from their networks.

Canadian consumers already pay some of the highest monthly fees for cellphone service in the world. Moreover, Canadian taxpayers – who are already experiencing record-high inflation, and struggling to afford basic necessities like groceries, gas, and home heating – should not be forced to subsidize the private business decisions of some of Canada’s most profitable companies. Canadians should not have to pay for the Trudeau government’s failure to make the right decision and ban Huawei years ago.

We ask that your government categorically reject requests for compensation from Canada’s large telecommunications companies. Once again, Conservatives demand that your government be transparent with Canadians and set a date for a decision on banning Huawei from Canada’s 5G infrastructure and protecting our national security.

To view the original letter, click here.