TORONTO - Canadians are owed more information about allegations that two provincial cabinet ministers are under the control of foreign governments, Premier Dalton McGuinty said Wednesday.
Richard Fadden, the director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, made the allegations in an interview with CBC News that aired Tuesday night.
Fadden promised to alert the federal government so it could tell the relevant provincial governments about the ministers involved, but no one has told Ontario anything, said McGuinty.
"We have not been contacted, so that means from our perspective no news is good news," he said.
However, McGuinty noted the TV interview was taped weeks ago and said CSIS must elaborate on the allegations of foreign governments controlling Canadian politicians.
"I think, in fairness, what Canadians are owed right now is more information," said McGuinty.
"If there are some real concerns, let's find out exactly what those are and let's find a way to address them."
McGuinty dismissed suggestions the allegations amounted to racial profiling after Fadden hinted the country involved in recruiting Canadian cabinet ministers was China.
"I think that's reading too much into it," he said. "I just think what it really calls for is more information."
Ontario's New Democrats said McGuinty should take the matter more seriously.
"Regrettably, Mr. McGuinty is being unduly cavalier about very serious allegations that put every cabinet minister in every province under a shadow of suspicion," said NDP critic Peter Kormos.
The Progressive Conservatives said they want McGuinty to take fast action if it turns out an Ontario cabinet minister is named by CSIS as being under the influence of a foreign government.
"I would hope that any name that comes forward in the Ontario cabinet, that the premier would deal with it in appropriate manner very, very quickly," said Opposition critic Garfield Dunlop.
Fadden said the politicians have not hidden their association with the foreign governments, but there have been indications they are shifting their public policies because of the involvement with that particular country.
He declined to name the two cabinet ministers or their provinces, but also said a number of public servants in British Columbia are also under suspicion.
Security experts are questioning why CSIS rushed to inform the public before contacting the provinces involved.
Fadden's comments were broadcast just hours before China's president Hu Jintao was to arrive in Canada on a rare state visit in advance of this weekend's G20 summit.
There was no immediate reaction from Beijing on the serious allegations levelled by the head of Canada's secret service.
Fadden also said that at least five countries are surreptitiously recruiting future political prospects in Canadian universities, some among members of their diaspora.
