MPs grill ‘incompetent’ health agency on fired National Microbiology Lab scientists

OTTAWA — Federal officials in charge of the National Microbiology Lab defended security protocols at the Winnipeg institution against accusations from MPs of bureaucratic incompetence Friday. “We acted as expeditiously as we could, given the information that was available,” Public Health Agency of Canada head Heather Jeffrey said Friday. She testified at the House committee on Canada-China relations as it probes Ottawa’s handling of two researchers at the Winnipeg lab, who left Canada after their security clearances were revoked over questions about their loyalty and potential coercion by Beijing. Records tabled in Parliament in February say the scientists, Xiangguo Qiu…