17 OCT: In his testimony at the public inquiry on foreign interference, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made startling claims regarding foreign influence in Canadian politics, specifically naming the involvement of Conservative members. Trudeau stated that he has a list of Conservative parliamentarians who are either engaged in or at risk of foreign interference. He directed the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) to alert Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, emphasizing the need to protect the party’s integrity.
Trudeau explained, “I have the names of parliamentarians, former parliamentarians, and candidates within the Conservative Party who are engaged or at high risk, with clear intelligence surrounding foreign interference.” He added that he instructed CSIS to inform the Conservative leader to enable the party to take protective measures.
Under questioning from Nando De Luca, the lawyer representing the Conservative Party, Trudeau disclosed that the list also includes Liberal MPs and individuals from other parties. He referenced past allegations of foreign interference by China in the 2019 Liberal nomination for Don Valley North. The inquiry examined reports indicating that international students may have been manipulated to vote for Liberal MP Han Dong, who subsequently left the Liberal caucus and now sits as an Independent.
Pierre Poilievre challenged Trudeau’s claims, calling on him to publicly release the names of MPs allegedly involved in foreign interference. Poilievre argued that Trudeau’s statements were merely a tactic to distract from issues within his own party.
During the inquiry, Trudeau addressed his previous confrontation with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Bali, November 2022. He raised concerns about alleged Chinese interference, including efforts to monitor Canadian MPs critical of China’s actions in Xinjiang and Hong Kong. Trudeau said, “I directly informed President Xi that he needed to ensure China stopped interfering in Canada’s democratic processes.” Despite these discussions, Trudeau noted that interference from China not only continued but, in some cases, increased.
In response to questions on alleged interference by India, Trudeau discussed events that led Canada to expel six Indian diplomats. He stated that recent developments have made it challenging for Canada and India to collaborate on addressing extremism concerns.
The inquiry, led by Commissioner Justice Marie-Josee Hogue, will continue hearings with experts from Oct. 21-25 to formulate recommendations for countering foreign interference in Canada’s democratic processes.
