Foreign interference: Parliamentary committee calls for public and independent inquiry

The resolution to this effect was passed by all the opposition parties together on Thursday. Liberal MPs voted against.

However, the panel does not have the power to order a commission of inquiry or compel Justin Trudeau’s government. The fate of the latter is now in the hands of the representatives.

So far, the Prime Minister has not closed the door on launching such an inquiry, but he stressed that the mechanisms in place are already public.

Nevertheless, he said Wednesday Always open to do more to assure Canadians and that institutions Strong and capable of resisting foreign intervention.

A parliamentary committee is investigating allegations of foreign interference in the 2019 and 2021 elections. Overall And everyday The Globe and Mail He detailed China’s planned interference efforts during the last two federal election campaigns.

Investigation Absolutely necessary

NDP House Leader Peter Julian supported the public inquiry idea Thursday when he debated his motion to call for such a commission.

These allegations may violate the Canada Elections Act. These are very serious chargesHe argued.

Conservative MP Luke Berthold gave an example of the issues he hopes the inquiry could clarify.

What does Prime Minister Justin Trudeau know? When was it first learned? What did Prime Minister Justin Trudeau do? Or rather, what did he do when he became aware of the many allegations of interference by the Beijing regime in the democratic process in Canada?He listed.

Bloc member Christine Normandin, for her part, received that a commissioner to lead a possible investigation would be appointed after an agreement between the parties.

Ensuring from the outset that the person conducting the inquiry is credible is absolutely essential if voters are to restore confidence in democratic institutions.she pleaded.

Expanded access

The Conservative Party of Canada demanded an investigation Attention and focus In the 2019 and 2021 elections, the Bloc Québécois and the New Democratic Party (NDP) insisted on an expanded mandate for efficiency and to provide answers before the next election.

With greater independence, the commissioner-designate could not only look into allegations involving Beijing, but Russian and Iranian interference, according to Black and The. NDP.

I would like to remind committee members of the testimony we heard: “Russian operations are ongoing and persistent.”said NDP MP Peter Julian.

The Electoral Commissioner of Canada investigates complaints

On Thursday morning, the Office of the Elections Commissioner of Canada said it was investigating two complaints received in recent weeks about allegations of foreign interference.

This analysis is ongoing as I speak to you.On Thursday Commissioner Caroline Simard was called to testify again before the Standing Committee on Procedure and House of Commons Affairs.

The commissioner reiterated that the exercise conducted by his office was impartial and independent of the government in power.

” I recognize the need to reassure Canadians in the current exceptional situation. »

Asked about the scope of her powers as Commissioner, Ms. Simard noted improvements that could be made in this area. What is missing? […] These include preservation of evidence, communication, compelling witnesses to testify, and compelling the production of documentsShe listed.

The commissioner also noted that the financial penalties awarded are limited to Rs Clearly not enough.

No authority on recent election results

He also clarified that the purpose of analyzing the complaints received by his office is to determine whether charges are established under the Canada Elections Act. However, he pointed out that this did not allow him to determine the validity of the election results.

These issues were addressed in a recent statement by Stéphane Perrault, testifying alongside Elections Canada’s Director General, Ms. Simard. The Globe and Mail were Very worrying for our democracy and our sovereignty.

However, he said he was not in a position to comment on the accuracy of the article as he was not informed of the information. However, he urged MEPs to consider the report Some caveats.

David Vigneault, head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), answered questions from elected officials, but had to insist on several occasions that he could not divulge sensitive information, even if it was reported to the media.

With information from the Canadian Press