Public Safety Minister Says No Security Review Done on BC Ferries’ China-Built Ships Deal

Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree waits to appear before the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security (SECU) on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Oct. 23, 2025. The Canadian Press/Spencer Colby

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree says no federal security review was done on last year’s BC Ferries procurement deal in which a Chinese shipyard was chosen for a contract to build four new vessels for its aging fleet.

Anandasangaree made the comments Feb. 25 in testimony before the House transport committee, saying the purchase was a provincial decision and the provision of $1 billion from the Canadian Infrastructure Bank (CIB) also fell outside Public Safety’s review authority.