NDP statement on Huawei ban from Canadian 5G Networks

NDP critic for Innovation, Science and Industry, Brian Masse, made the following statement:

"Today’s decision to finally ban Huawei from Canada’s 5G network is long overdue. It has taken the Liberal government three years to make this decision while other Five Eyes countries made their positions known much sooner. This delay only worked to raise serious questions at home and among our allies about the Liberal government’s national security commitments and hampered the domestic telecommunications market.

This delay to ban Huawei has cost Canadian consumers. The national security and privacy rights of Canadians was put at risk without good reason. The Liberals were the only Five Eyes government since 2020 not to ban or restrict Huawei, bringing unnecessary friction with our information sharing allies. During this time, the domestic telecom market has also been severely impacted as they were left in the dark about the future of 5G in Canada.

New Democrats have been united over the past two years in calling for Huawei to be banned from Canada’s 5G network. The risks of not taking action on this important decision we’re clear, yet the Liberals chose to delay, and now Canadians have paid the cost. This government has said that ‘it wasn’t a race’ to make a quick decision but Canadians deserve a real explanation about why the decision to ban Huawei from Canada’s 5G networks took so long."