The Liberals are refusing to say which federal politicians “wittingly” cooperated with foreign interference schemes after an explosive new report.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland faced repeated questions about the National Security and Intelligence Committee’s (NSICOP) findings, that parliamentarians are “witting or semi-witting” participants in foreign interference, including revealing secrets to foreign states.
When asked Tuesday whether Canadians have a right to know who these parliamentarians are, Freeland dodged the question.
“Let me just say this, we take foreign interference really, really seriously,” she said. “It needs to be law enforcement that takes the steps and takes the action.”
Other ministers were also pressed on their way into cabinet Tuesday morning about why the federal government is not “naming names.”
“Usually, these things would play out in a different forum, that is protected by the processes, that affords an opportunity for a person to make a defence,” said Housing Minister Sean Fraser.
He also pointed to “national security considerations” as reasons why more information can’t be disclosed.
The NSICOP report outlined several activities involving elected officials collaborating with countries like China and India, including accepting money or favours from diplomats.
In one of the most serious examples of foreign interference, a parliamentarian allegedly passed on confidential government information to a “known intelligence officer of a foreign state.”
Justice Minister Arif Virani was asked whether he would like to know the identity of parliamentarians facing allegations of colluding with hostile states.
Virani did not answer, saying in French, that for him the larger issue is tackling foreign interference as a whole.
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc refused to provide details when pressed multiple times on who these politicians are and whether they are currently sitting in the House or Senate.
“I want to be careful not to comment on specific matters,” said LeBlanc on Monday, after the release of the NSICOP report.
“This is an example where certain information doesn’t have the caveat that some of the intelligence documents that we would see have.”
LeBlanc said he disagreed with certain elements in the document. Global News asked several times what those elements were, and why he found them problematic, but Leblanc would not say.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said there should be consequences if there is “clear evidence” of collusion.
“There’s no way a member of Parliament should be able to continue to work in this place if they are assisting another government in interfering with our democracy. It’s just wrong,” he said.
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet also said he is concerned with the allegations.
“It does bother me very much in the same Parliament where I work some people might voluntarily be under the influence of foreign powers.”
The Conservatives did not ask a single question about the NSICOP report during question period Tuesday.
The National Security and Intelligence Committee is comprised of MPs of all parties and has been chaired by Liberal David McGuinty since its creation in 2018.
Unlike other Five Eyes countries, the committee does not report to Parliament, instead it reports directly to the prime minister. Five Eyes is an intelligence alliance comprising of Canada, the U.S., the U.K., Australia and New Zealand.
The NSICOP report found “some (of the activities) may be illegal, but are unlikely to lead to criminal charges, owing to Canada’s failure to address the long-standing issue of protecting classified information and methods in judicial processes,” the report read.
Global News has asked the RCMP if Canada’s spy agency informed the Mounties about the allegations of foreign interference and whether criminals investigations are underway. Global News is waiting for a response.
— with files from Marc-Andre Cossette, Mackenzie Gray
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