No 'traitors' in Canada's parliament, says foreign meddling inquiry

A public inquiry in Canada has found no evidence that "traitors" in the Canadian parliament colluded with foreign governments to interfere in elections. The final report released by the foreign interference commission stated that attempts by foreign powers to interfere in recent elections were "troubling" but had "little impact."

The inquiry also warned that disinformation poses an "existential threat" to Canadian democracy. This months-long investigation concludes as Canada enters an election year, with a federal election potentially as early as this spring. Previously, a parliamentary intelligence committee reported in June that some members of parliament were "knowing or semi-witting" participants in foreign interference.

However, Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue stated in her findings on Tuesday that she saw no evidence of any parliamentarians colluding, and noted that the June report "sometimes contained inaccuracies." She also wrote, "It is a legitimate concern that parliamentarians might have problematic relationships with foreign officials, exercise poor judgment, behave naively, or even demonstrate questionable ethics."

Regarding disinformation, Ms. Hogue stated, "It is, in my view, no exaggeration to say that at this juncture, information manipulation (whether foreign or domestic) poses the greatest risk to our democracy." The inquiry was launched in September 2023 to investigate allegations of interference by China, Russia, India, and other foreign powers. This followed a series of detailed media reports, many based on leaked intelligence, claiming that China interfered in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. However, there is no evidence that these efforts changed the outcome of any election.

Over the past several months, the inquiry heard public testimony from witnesses, including members of parliament, national security officials, senior government aides, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The report released on Tuesday made 51 recommendations and criticized the government's slow response to interference. It also noted that "coordination among various actors was not always optimal," and public education efforts on interference were "patchy and inadequate."

In May, Ms. Hogue released an interim report stating that interference was a "stain" on Canada's electoral process. The report found that China was the "primary perpetrator" of such interference. The interim report stated that China "covertly used" Canadian officials in an attempt to help its "preferred" candidates get elected in 2019. The report on Tuesday stated that India has become the "second most active state engaging in foreign interference in elections in Canada." Both India and China have repeatedly denied allegations that they interfere in Canadian affairs.

The inquiry also heard testimony from members of the Canadian diaspora who spoke about themselves or their families being targeted by foreign governments. Those affected by alleged interference efforts have accused officials of not doing enough to combat it. The report on Tuesday called transnational repression a "real scourge" that officials should take seriously. The federal government has stated that it is reviewing the final report and is taking steps to strengthen election security.