By Canadian Press

Opposition parties demand answers as Liberals say little about Chinese balloon

Feb 6, 2023 | 12:38 PM

OTTAWA — Opposition parties say the public deserves answers about a Chinese balloon’s incursion over Canadian territory.

The federal government is offering few details about the balloon’s flight over Canada before the U.S. military revealed its presence over the western state of Montana last week.

While Beijing says it was a weather research balloon that got blown off course, Ottawa and Washington are alleging that it was being used to spy on sensitive military sites.

The Liberal government has confirmed it flew into Canadian airspace from Alaska before crossing back into the Western U.S., but it won’t say when or where the balloon was in Canada.

Opposition parties also want to know why Canadians weren’t alerted earlier, why the balloon wasn’t stopped sooner, and what measures are being taken to protect against — and retaliate against — Chinese spying.

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The balloon was shot down by an American fighter jet on Sunday off the coast of South Carolina.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 6, 2023.

The Canadian Press