Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau said today that the 11-year sentence a Chinese court gave Michael Spavor — one of two Canadians detained in China in what are widely seen as acts of retaliation in response to the arrest of a Chinese tech executive — was the result of a “sham trial.”
Spavor was found guilty of espionage and sentenced to 11 years in prison by a Chinese court Tuesday night (this morning local time) in Dandong, a coastal city near the border with North Korea. He also was convicted of illegally providing state secrets to other countries.
Garneau said the sentencing lacked fairness and transparency.
“Fundamentally, we know that the practice of arbitrary detention with a mock sham trial with absolutely no transparency whatsoever, and a verdict that is completely unjustified, are not acceptable in terms of international rules-based law,” he told a press conference this morning.
WATCH | Garneau on Spavor and Schellenberg verdicts in China
Garneau gives the official government reaction to Spavor and Schellenberg verdicts in China
12 hours ago
Foreign Affairs minister Marc Garneau spoke on Wednesday about the rulings handed down in China, the cases of Canadians Michael Spavor and Robert Schellenberg. 2:39
Ottawa has called repeatedly on the Chinese government to release both Spavor and Michael Kovrig, another Canadian accused of espionage. Both men were taken into custody by Chinese authorities following the arrest of Chinese telecom executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver in December, 2018.
Fight for release continues
Garneau said the government is engaged in intense discussions with high-level Chinese and American officials to secure Kovrig and Spavor’s release. He would not go into specifics about those conversations.
“The discussions, I will say, are with respect to finding a way to secure the release of the two Michaels, and I’ll leave it at that,” he said
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole pointed out that those efforts haven’t worked yet.
“This is horrific news. And it’s completely unacceptable. The communist regime in China is using one our citizens as a diplomatic ploy,” he said
“Mr. Trudeau has been offside with respect to China for six years. A Conservative government will stand up for our values, our citizens and our security.”
The Chinese court also ordered that Spavor be deported — although it’s not immediately clear whether that would happen before or after the 11-year prison sentence is served.
WATCH | The potential impact of Michael Spavor’s sentence:
The potential impact of Michael Spavor’s sentence
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Ben Roswell, former diplomat and president of the Canadian International Council, talks about the impact Michael Spavor’s sentencing will have on Michael Kovrig and China’s political positioning with Canada. 2:56
Dominic Barton, Canada’s ambassador to China, attended Spavor’s hearing. He said he believes the deportation would happen only after he completes his sentence. Garneau said the government is seeking clarity.
Former Canadian ambassador to China Guy Saint-Jacques — who played a role in securing the release of Canadians Kevin and Julia Garratt — said that lack of clarity could suggest the outlines of a deal with Beijing.
The Garratts were arrested by Chinese security officials in 2014 and accused of spying and stealing military secrets. Julia was released on bail pending trial, while Kevin was released days after his sentencing.
“In this case, I think that clearly it’s a message from China that if you don’t do anything, this guy will spend 11 years in jail,” Saint-Jacques said.
“But if, for instance, a plea bargain could be negotiated with Mrs. Meng, or if the U.S. were to drop the accusations against her and instead go only after Huawei, then I think we would have the element.
“But there’s still a lot of things that need to happen for that, and I don’t see any quick resolution, unfortunately.”
China responds
The verdict and sentencing mark a new stage in Canada’s deteriorating relationship with China.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the sentence “absolutely unacceptable and unjust.”
“Today’s verdict for Mr. Spavor comes after more than two and a half years of arbitrary detention, a lack of transparency in the legal process and a trial that did not satisfy even the minimum standards required by international law,” Trudeau said in a media statement early Wednesday.
Dominic Barton, Canada’s ambassador to China, stands near a barricade tape as he arrives at a detention center to meet Canadian Michael Spavor, in Dandong, China, on Wednesday. A Chinese court has sentenced Spavor to 11 years on spying charges in a case widely viewed as retaliation to the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver. (Associated Press/Ng Han Guan)
The United States also condemned the sentencing.
“The practice of arbitrarily detaining individuals to exercise leverage over foreign governments is completely unacceptable,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a media statement.
“People should never be used as bargaining chips.”
Diplomats from the United States, Japan, Britain, Australia, Germany and the European Union gathered at the Canadian Embassy in Beijing in a show of support. They also have issued separate appeals for Spavor and Kovrig to receive fair trials or be released.
The Chinese embassy in Ottawa defended the legal process and lashed back at Garneau, saying his comments today amount to “groundless accusations against China.”
“On the contrary, the Canadian side ignored the political nature of the Meng Wanzhou incident and acted as an accomplice of the United States. Ms. Meng Wanzhou has been detained for nearly 1,000 days without violating any Canadian laws. This is truly arbitrary detention,” the embassy said in a media statement.
No word on Kovrig sentencing
Spavor was based in China but had extensive links with North Korea in tourism and other commercial ventures that brought him into contact with the isolated communist state’s leadership.
In a statement, Spavor’s family said they disagreed with the charges and that the next step is to “bring Michael home.”
“Michael’s life passion has been to bring different cultures together through tourism and events shared between the Korean peninsula and other countries, including China and Canada,” the statement said. “This situation has not dampened but strengthened his passion.”
In this Dec. 19, 2013, file photo, Michael Spavor, center, an entrepreneur, is seen with former NBA star Dennis Rodman, left, on the arrival at the capital airport for a flight to North Korea, in Beijing, China. The Canadian entrepreneur was charged with spying after Canada arrested Meng. (Associated Press/Ng Han Guan/File)
Barton, who visited Spavor following the verdict, said Spavor had three messages that he wanted to share with the outside world: “Thank you for all your support,” “I am in good spirits,” and “I want to get home.”
It is not clear when Kovrig, whose trial concluded in March, will receive his sentence.
Meng, the chief financial officer of the Chinese telecom giant Huawei, faces possible extradition to the United States for charges linked to an alleged violation of U.S. sanctions.
Her extradition hearing in Vancouver is currently in its last few weeks in B.C. Supreme Court. A ruling is expected sometime in the next few months.
Other Canadian sentenced to death
Spavor’s verdict arrived just over 24 hours after a different Chinese court upheld a death sentence for Robert Schellenberg, a Canadian convicted on charges of drug smuggling.
Garneau said the government is reaching out to Chinese officials to fight for clemency, calling Schellenberg’s sentence “arbitrary.”
Earlier — during a news conference in Shenyang, China, where the Schellenberg verdict was announced — Barton suggested the cases are linked to Meng’s trial.
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence these are happening right now while events are going on in Vancouver,” he told reporters Tuesday.
Robert Schellenberg was arrested in 2014 for allegedly playing a central role in a drug smuggling operation. (CCTV/The Associated Press)
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called both cases heartbreaking.
“We need to use all the tools that we have at the national level, working with allies, using diplomatic tools to bring our Canadians home and to save the life of the Canadians sentenced to the death penalty,” he said.
WATCH | NDP leader reacts to Spavor and Schellenberg verdicts in China
NDP leader reacts to Spavor and Schellenberg verdicts in China
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NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh spoke with reporters in Halifax on Wednesday about the rulings handed down in China, the cases of Canadians Michael Spavor and Robert Schellenberg 0:36
HALIFAX – Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says it’s “disgraceful and demeaning” that a Halifax-area school would request that service members not wear military uniforms to its Remembrance Day ceremony.
Houston’s comments were part of a chorus of criticism levelled at the school — Sackville Heights Elementary — whose administration decided to back away from the plan after the outcry.
A November newsletter from the school in Middle Sackville, N.S., invited Armed Forces members to attend its ceremony but asked that all attendees arrive in civilian attire to “maintain a welcoming environment for all.”
Houston, who is currently running for re-election, accused the school’s leaders of “disgracing themselves while demeaning the people who protect our country” in a post on the social media platform X Thursday night.
“If the people behind this decision had a shred of the courage that our veterans have, this cowardly and insulting idea would have been rejected immediately,” Houston’s post read. There were also several calls for resignations within the school’s administration attached to Houston’s post.
In an email to families Thursday night, the school’s principal, Rachael Webster, apologized and welcomed military family members to attend “in the attire that makes them most comfortable.”
“I recognize this request has caused harm and I am deeply sorry,” Webster’s email read, adding later that the school has the “utmost respect for what the uniform represents.”
Webster said the initial request was out of concern for some students who come from countries experiencing conflict and who she said expressed discomfort with images of war, including military uniforms.
Her email said any students who have concerns about seeing Armed Forces members in uniform can be accommodated in a way that makes them feel safe, but she provided no further details in the message.
Webster did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
At a news conference Friday, Houston said he’s glad the initial request was reversed but said he is still concerned.
“I can’t actually fathom how a decision like that was made,” Houston told reporters Friday, adding that he grew up moving between military bases around the country while his father was in the Armed Forces.
“My story of growing up in a military family is not unique in our province. The tradition of service is something so many of us share,” he said.
“Saying ‘lest we forget’ is a solemn promise to the fallen. It’s our commitment to those that continue to serve and our commitment that we will pass on our respects to the next generation.”
Liberal Leader Zach Churchill also said he’s happy with the school’s decision to allow uniformed Armed Forces members to attend the ceremony, but he said he didn’t think it was fair to question the intentions of those behind the original decision.
“We need to have them (uniforms) on display at Remembrance Day,” he said. “Not only are we celebrating (veterans) … we’re also commemorating our dead who gave the greatest sacrifice for our country and for the freedoms we have.”
NDP Leader Claudia Chender said that while Remembrance Day is an important occasion to honour veterans and current service members’ sacrifices, she said she hopes Houston wasn’t taking advantage of the decision to “play politics with this solemn occasion for his own political gain.”
“I hope Tim Houston reached out to the principal of the school before making a public statement,” she said in a statement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
REGINA – Saskatchewan Opposition NDP Leader Carla Beck says she wants to prove to residents her party is the government in waiting as she heads into the incoming legislative session.
Beck held her first caucus meeting with 27 members, nearly double than what she had before the Oct. 28 election but short of the 31 required to form a majority in the 61-seat legislature.
She says her priorities will be health care and cost-of-living issues.
Beck says people need affordability help right now and will press Premier Scott Moe’s Saskatchewan Party government to cut the gas tax and the provincial sales tax on children’s clothing and some grocery items.
Beck’s NDP is Saskatchewan’s largest Opposition in nearly two decades after sweeping Regina and winning all but one seat in Saskatoon.
The Saskatchewan Party won 34 seats, retaining its hold on all of the rural ridings and smaller cities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
HALIFAX – Nova Scotia‘s growing population was the subject of debate on Day 12 of the provincial election campaign, with Liberal Leader Zach Churchill arguing immigration levels must be reduced until the province can provide enough housing and health-care services.
Churchill said Thursday a plan by the incumbent Progressive Conservatives to double the province’s population to two million people by the year 2060 is unrealistic and unsustainable.
“That’s a big leap and it’s making life harder for people who live here, (including ) young people looking for a place to live and seniors looking to downsize,” he told a news conference at his campaign headquarters in Halifax.
Anticipating that his call for less immigration might provoke protests from the immigrant community, Churchill was careful to note that he is among the third generation of a family that moved to Nova Scotia from Lebanon.
“I know the value of immigration, the importance of it to our province. We have been built on the backs of an immigrant population. But we just need to do it in a responsible way.”
The Liberal leader said Tim Houston’s Tories, who are seeking a second term in office, have made a mistake by exceeding immigration targets set by the province’s Department of Labour and Immigration. Churchill said a Liberal government would abide by the department’s targets.
In the most recent fiscal year, the government welcomed almost 12,000 immigrants through its nominee program, exceeding the department’s limit by more than 4,000, he said. The numbers aren’t huge, but the increase won’t help ease the province’s shortages in housing and doctors, and the increased strain on its infrastructure, including roads, schools and cellphone networks, Churchill said.
“(The Immigration Department) has done the hard work on this,” he said. “They know where the labour gaps are, and they know what growth is sustainable.”
In response, Houston said his commitment to double the population was a “stretch goal.” And he said the province had long struggled with a declining population before that trend was recently reversed.
“The only immigration that can come into this province at this time is if they are a skilled trade worker or a health-care worker,” Houston said. “The population has grown by two per cent a year, actually quite similar growth to what we experienced under the Liberal government before us.”
Still, Houston said he’s heard Nova Scotians’ concerns about population growth, and he then pivoted to criticize Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for trying to send 6,000 asylum seekers to Nova Scotia, an assertion the federal government has denied.
Churchill said Houston’s claim about asylum seekers was shameful.
“It’s smoke and mirrors,” the Liberal leader said. “He is overshooting his own department’s numbers for sustainable population growth and yet he is trying to blame this on asylum seekers … who aren’t even here.”
In September, federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller said there is no plan to send any asylum seekers to the province without compensation or the consent of the premier. He said the 6,000 number was an “aspirational” figure based on models that reflect each province’s population.
In Halifax, NDP Leader Claudia Chender said it’s clear Nova Scotia needs more doctors, nurses and skilled trades people.
“Immigration has been and always will be a part of the Nova Scotia story, but we need to build as we grow,” Chender said. “This is why we have been pushing the Houston government to build more affordable housing.”
Chender was in a Halifax cafe on Thursday when she promised her party would remove the province’s portion of the harmonized sales tax from all grocery, cellphone and internet bills if elected to govern on Nov. 26. The tax would also be removed from the sale and installation of heat pumps.
“Our focus is on helping people to afford their lives,” Chender told reporters. “We know there are certain things that you can’t live without: food, internet and a phone …. So we know this will have the single biggest impact.”
The party estimates the measure would save the average Nova Scotia family about $1,300 a year.
“That’s a lot more than a one or two per cent HST cut,” Chender said, referring to the Progressive Conservative pledge to reduce the tax by one percentage point and the Liberal promise to trim it by two percentage points.
Elsewhere on the campaign trail, Houston announced that a Progressive Conservative government would make parking free at all Nova Scotia hospitals and health-care centres. The promise was also made by the Liberals in their election platform released Monday.
“Free parking may not seem like a big deal to some, but … the parking, especially for people working at the facilities, can add up to hundreds of dollars,” the premier told a news conference at his campaign headquarters in Halifax.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.
