Meili calls on Moe to review SaskTel’s ties with Huawei

The NDP is calling on the Sask. Party to fully investigate any risk posed by the relationship with Huawei and to take the necessary steps to defend the privacy of Saskatchewan people and the security of the province’s businesses.

“Today, I have written to the Premier to outline our concerns over Huawei having backdoor access to our essential communications infrastructure,” said NDP Leader Ryan Meili. “The most recent revelations of alleged espionage and security threats by Huawei underscore why this government needs to exercise extreme caution and may need to extricate SaskTel from its contractual relationships with this company.”

Meili called on Moe to:

Place an immediate moratorium on any further contracts between SaskTel and Huawei.
Provide the public with a thorough description of all of Huawei’s involvement with SaskTel and of all safeguards in place to protect the Saskatchewan public.
Request an urgent analysis by Canadian Security Intelligence Services of any potential risk for espionage via Huawei’s existing involvement with SaskTel.
Provide an assessment of the cost of ending current contracts with Huawei and removing any technology that poses risk and outlining a process for ending this engagement should that be the wiser course of action.

Since 2010, SaskTel ratepayers have paid Huawei more than $181 million for services and Huawei’s relationship with SaskTel includes a joint agreement to provide 5G service to the University of Regina. Other countries, including the United States, Australia, and New Zealand have already taken steps to block the Chinese company from being a part of building their 5G networks.

“This partnership with Huawei was questionable at best when the Sask. Party signed SaskTel on for it,” said NDP SaskTel Critic Warren McCall. “Given what we know today, this relationship must be subjected to appropriate scrutiny and actions must be taken to protect the privacy of Saskatchewan people and security of Saskatchewan businesses.”

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