Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during an interview in Ottawa, January 6, 2023. (REUTERS/Blair Gable)
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Recent reports citing Canadian intelligence information detailing Beijing’s strategy to interfere in the 2021 federal election should not be a “partisan issue,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says.
“We have talked openly for many, many years about the real threat of interference and attempts at interference that countries like China continually do within our democracies,” Trudeau told reporters in Richmond Hill, Ont., on Feb. 22.
The prime minister said the Liberal government has “continually increased” the number of tools national security agencies can use to track election interference attempts.
“Canadians can and should continue to have faith in their institutions around this and they need to know that everyone is taking this seriously,” he said.
“Foreign governments and foreign actors are trying to undermine people’s confidence in democracy itself, and amplifying and giving reasons—giving partisan reasons—to mistrust the outcome of an election,” Trudeau said, adding, “That’s something that we’ve seen from elsewhere is not a good path to go down for society or for democracy.”
A recent Globe and Mail report cited top-secret documents from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) dating from around the time of the federal election in September 2021, that said two of Beijing’s goals in its alleged election interference were to have a minority Liberal government elected and to defeat Conservative MPs it deemed critical of the Chinese Communist Party.
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre said during a press conference in Calgary on Feb. 17 that it’s “not believable” that Trudeau hadn’t been previously aware of the CSIS report cited by the Globe and Mail.
“Justin Trudeau knew about this interference and he covered it up because he benefited from it,” Poilievre said. “He is perfectly happy to let a foreign authoritarian government interfere in our elections as long as they’re helping him.”
Liberal MP Jennifer O’Connell criticized the Conservatives’ stance on the issue during a meeting of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs on Feb. 21, saying the interference reports are “serious” but have “never been denied” by the federal government.
“This is the same Trump-type tactics to question election results moving forward,” she said.
Trudeau was asked by reporters on Feb. 22 about O’Connell’s comments, asking if he believed questions about the interference allegations are illegitimate.
“No, I think everyone should be worried about the fact that countries like China, and Russia, and others are continually trying to spread misinformation and disinformation, trying to interfere in our elections unsuccessfully,” he replied.
Andrew Chen contributed to this report.