Brown-John: Ottawa must act against MPs under foreign influence

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By: Lloyd Brown-John

Recently I was asked my views on the matter of possible or real interference in Canada’s elections by foreign entities.

There are two relevant documents.

A May 3 preliminary report, “Public Inquiry Into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions,” is a relatively straightforward overview of key electoral integrity issues. Under direction of commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue, the final report is due by December.

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Second, and more controversial: a June 3 report of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP).

I’ve looked through what is available within the unclassified May 3 report. It sets the context wherein NSICOP examined thousands of documents and heard from an extensive list of witnesses. This NSICOP investigation of foreign interference is the report that has opposition party leaders (excepting one) doing contortions to both explain and avoid explaining.

The latter classified report was made available to those opposition parties intelligent enough to understand the magnitude of an un-redacted report’s full contents.
The NSICOP report is clear about several things. Most significantly it seems plausible that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) repeatedly warned the government of foreign interference activities, including around the party nomination meeting of a Toronto area Liberal MP.

A major question for NSICOP is whether these CSIS reports were ignored by the government. Incidentally, two Senators were identified as possibly serving China’s interests more assiduously than those of Canada.

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First the context. The May 3 Commission of Inquiry report states: “Our electoral system is robust. Certainly, active foreign interference did occur during the last two federal general elections, but that interference did not undermine the integrity of our electoral system.

“Our system remains sound.”

Nonetheless, the report adds, “these acts of interference that occurred, some of these acts have been established, while others remain only suspected, are a stain on our electoral process and impacted the process leading up to the actual vote.

“The mere possibility that disinformation carried out or encouraged by a foreign authority could have had a decisive impact on the result in a constituency is serious.”

The May 3 report notes one reason names are not being made public: “Foreign interference often specifically targets diaspora communities. Members of these communities have reported their distress when they found themselves beset by foreign powers and the impact this had on their lives. We cannot and must not remain indifferent to their distress.”

The report warns: “Canada is a multicultural and democratic society that recognizes and protects individual rights and the rule of law. The rights to reputation and privacy, the right to vote, freedom of expression and freedom of opinion are at the heart of who we are.

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“We must also avoid taking measures that would stigmatize some of our fellow citizens, particularly those from diasporas.” Foreign interference “is generally, but not exclusively, the work of authoritarian regimes.”

The June 3 NSICOP report, which party leaders Jagmeet Singh (NDP) and Elizabeth May (Greens) have discussed publicly, echoed CSIS’s intelligence warnings. The government appears either to be side-stepping the crux of the issue, or it simply chose to ignore CSIS warnings.

Earlier this week, in an extended interview on CBC’s “The National,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, when asked about Liberals who may have been compromised by foreign interference, paused an inordinately long time before replying. He said the document was classified and he was not at liberty to offer details any more than any other party leader. The opposition Conservative leader has chosen not to view the classified document.

Naming names begs great caution. Nevertheless, if there are Senators and MPs who have knowingly colluded with, and received tangible support from, a foreign government then our government must be obliged to both respect the rule of law and the Canadian political system’s reputation.

But the Trudeau government must also urgently initiate a full police investigation into allegations of foreign wooing of willing Parliamentarians.

Lloyd Brown-John is a University of Windsor professor emeritus of political science and director of Canterbury ElderCollege. He can be reached at lbj@uwindsor.ca.

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