Two Michaels are free, but China still playing dirty with Canadian citizens

• By Ezra Levant

BAN HUAWEI FROM CANADA

We won't accept the Chinese Communist Party having access to everything we say, do, think, read, all of our secrets. We want to ban Huawei from Canadian soil. We want them out.

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Several weeks ago, Liberty and Marcie Blando set off on a flight from Toronto to the Philippines. The plan was to return to Canada with their elderly mother. Alas, they never made it to Manilla. Instead, when the plane touched down for a scheduled stop in Hong Kong, the Blando sisters were inexplicably singled out by the authorities. The airport officials were obsessive over the Blandos’ paperwork and documentation. And when every request was met, another demand would be issued by the authorities.

Liberty Blando was especially upset with this impromptu interrogation: she has worked in the travel industry for years and she knows precisely what documents are needed to travel internationally. Yet, despite having all the necessary paperwork required, it soon dawned on the sisters that they were never going to get back on the plane to get to their final destination.

The fix was in. The question, of course, is why? Why were the Blandos — two sisters with no criminal records whatsoever — singled out in such a fashion?

There were about 300 people on that plane, mostly Filipino-Americans and some Filipino-Australians. The Blandos were the only Canadian passengers on board. And the sisters believe this is the reason they were eventually put back on a plane to Canada as opposed to carrying on to the Philippines.

It seems like a valid explanation.

At the time, the two Michaels (Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor) were still incarcerated in China. Their detainment was obviously politically-motivated in light of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei, being placed under house arrest in Vancouver, an act that had infuriated the Chinese government.

And apparently, it seems that when it comes to Communist China being petty and vindictive toward Canadians, this regime has no limits.

How else can one explain why the Blando sisters were singled out in such a fashion and denied passage to the Philippines? The only silver lining: at least they were not incarcerated for more than 1,000 days, like the two Michaels.

Check out our interview with Liberty and Marcie and judge for yourself.

Postscript: Let us never forget where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stands when it comes to the oppressive communist regime in Beijing. Said the future PM at a Toronto “Ladies’ night” meet and greet back in 2013: “You know, there’s a level of admiration I actually have for China… because their basic dictatorship is allowing them to actually turn their economy around on a dime.”

We must ponder: does he still feel the same way today? (Not that the mainstream media would ever dare ask Trudeau such an impolite question, mind you…)