Canada’s Information Commissioner’s Office concluded on Monday that the People’s Republic of China “covertly and deceptively interfered in both the 2019 and 2021 elections,” both of which were won by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party.
prime minister trudeau Establishment The commission came under intense pressure in January to do more about foreign interference in Canadian elections, particularly from China.
The clearest example of such interference was the ouster of Conservative MP Kenny Chiu, who was clearly told by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) that his re-election campaign had been undermined by foreign interference. . Chiu lost his seat to a member of Prime Minister Trudeau’s Liberal Party in 2021.
At Monday’s committee meeting, examination During a February 2023 CSIS briefing with Prime Minister Trudeau, the spy agency revealed that China had secretly interfered in the past two elections. The document’s release was a bombshell over Trudeau’s previous claims that the evidence of Chinese interference was not strong enough to merit government action.
Even more embarrassing, CSIS said in a February briefing that China is working to undermine 2021 Conservative candidates because the party runs on an “anti-China” platform. We have come to the conclusion that this is because the Chinese government feels this is the case. Among other issues, Conservatives have been vocal about China’s genocide of Uyghur Muslims and the security threat posed by Huawei’s 5G network equipment.
Briefing submitted to Prime Minister Trudeau explained “Online and media activity aimed at discouraging Canadians, particularly those of Chinese descent, from supporting the Conservative Party, Leader Erin O’Toole, and specifically Steveston-Richmond East candidate Kenny Chiu.”
Newly elected Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole gives a victory speech after the Conservative Party of Canada 2020 leadership election in Ottawa, early August 24, 2020. (SEAN KILPATRICK/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
“The timing of these efforts to coincide with improving Conservative Party polling; similarities in wording with articles published by Chinese state media; and partnership agreements all suggest that these efforts were orchestrated or directed by China,” the bombshell briefing document states.
Former Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole testified He said his party may have lost up to nine seats due to Chinese interference and that the setback could have led to his ouster as leader.
“Immediately after his election loss, a petition and public relations campaign against Mr. O’Toole was launched within 48 hours by prominent CPC members who served on the party’s national council,” CSIS said.
“Reliable sources and journalists in diaspora organizations have privately advised Mr. O’Toole that this particular party member has unusual ties to the Chinese government. Although Mr. O’Toole has no information to substantiate these claims, , we trust the source,” the briefing added.
O’Toole’s sources It contains He is a campaign worker in British Columbia and is fluent in Chinese. Those employees told him that Chinese-language social media groups were spreading disinformation about the Conservative Party and its candidates in 2021. Kenny Chiu was the main target of these disinformation attacks.
“The level, amount, and tone of misinformation against Mr. Chiu was egregious. He fears for the well-being of himself and his family, and this was a racially motivated personal attack, and we believe that he is racially motivated. It suggests that he is a traitor,” O’Toole told the Intelligence Committee.
O’Toole survived a suspiciously timed attempt to oust him from party leadership, but was ousted in February 2022 after a revolt within his caucus. Bert Chiang, the author of the petition reviewed by CSIS, insisted last week that he is “just a Taiwanese-born Canadian who honestly believes what Mr. Johnson says.” Mr. O’Toole is not fit to lead our country or our party. ”
Investigators have found that China has a variety of ways to support its favored candidates. These include removing “anti-China” politicians from Chinese Canadian communities from efforts to extract suspicious votes so that only pro-China candidates can effectively organize and raise funds; It turns out that there are various ways to do this. .
A Canadian poses with Chinese President Xi Jinping for photographers before a group photo at the G20 summit held at the Hangzhou International Expo Center in Hangzhou, eastern China’s Zhejiang province, on Sunday, September 4, 2016. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (left). (Ng) Han Guan/AP)
Chinese influence is particularly strong in Toronto, Vancouver, and several other cities with large Chinese populations. CSIS Said The Chinese government supported 11 candidates in the Toronto area in the 2019 election, most of whom were members of Trudeau’s party.
The Committee on Foreign Interference investigated several other sources of suspected foreign influence, including Russia, Iran, Pakistan and India.of indian era (TOI) report On Tuesday, it announced that no evidence of Indian interference in Canadian politics had been presented to the committee.
Committee hearings are still ongoing. Prime Minister Trudeau himself is scheduled to testify on Wednesday, which could be a little uncomfortable after Tuesday’s revelations.
