44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 6, 2023 11:00AM
- Mar/6/23 2:31:31 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, our government is taking the issue of foreign interference in Canada's democratic institutions very seriously. As my colleague heard, our government has taken unprecedented steps since we formed the government in 2015 to put in place a series of measures precisely to provide greater transparency and understanding to Canadians on a threat that has existed for well more than 13 years, which has been publicly discussed for over a decade.
The good news is that our government takes it seriously. The good news is that the 2019 and 2021 elections were decided freely and fairly by Canadians.
100 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:32:16 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, in a democratic society, few things are as crucial as the integrity of the electoral process and confidence in institutions.
There are serious allegations of interference, and it is this Prime Minister's responsibility to launch a public inquiry to get to the bottom of it. People deserve transparency. The former head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, or CSIS, along with a former chief electoral officer, former senior public servant Morris Rosenberg, and an NDP-led House of Commons committee are calling for a public inquiry.
Why is the Prime Minister saying no?
97 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:32:52 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I agree with my hon. colleague. It is important that Canadians have confidence in our democratic institutions.
We have taken the issue of foreign interference seriously since the moment we formed government. We have implemented a series of measures, including legislative measures, to ensure that our democratic institutions are protected from unacceptable interference.
As my hon. colleague well knows, we share his concern. The good news is that we will continue to do what is necessary.
79 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:33:32 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we found out that CSIS uncovered a plan to influence the Prime Minister with a $200,000 donation to the Trudeau Foundation from agents of the communist regime in Beijing. The response was to blame CSIS. That is another page out of the playbook of divide, distract, deflect and deny, while the confidence in our democracy hits an all-time low.
The Prime Minister needs to end the cover-up and come clean with Canadians about what he knew and when he knew about it. The Prime Minister refuses. What is he hiding?
95 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:34:05 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, has said, we take the threat of foreign interference very seriously, which is why we have taken concrete action, like putting in place threat reduction measures for CSIS and cracking down on foreign funding which could interfere with our domestic elections.
With corresponding transparency through the creation of bodies like the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians to ensure that we are up front with Canadians, all members should be united in protecting our elections. They are sacrosanct. Canadians, and Canadians alone, determine them.
96 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:34:49 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the allegations of foreign interference are serious and they deserve a serious response from a serious Prime Minister. They need to be investigated and they need to be investigated by a credible, non-partisan and independent body. They need to be investigated by Parliament, not by Liberal insiders.
With the help of the NDP, the Prime Minister is refusing to send his chief of staff to committee. Again, what is he hiding?
74 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:35:15 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, it was this government under the leadership of the Prime Minister that created the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians to encourage and foster collaboration across partisan lines, because this is an issue that transcends that dynamic. We will continue to shine a light on the threats that are posed by foreign interference so we can protect our democratic institutions, especially elections, because Canadians, and Canadians alone, must be reassured that they determine their elections and no one else.
82 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:35:49 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, for years, CSIS has tracked Beijing's foreign interference and has said, “foreign interference is a serious threat to the security of Canada.” For years, CSIS has advised the Prime Minister that “Canada can make use of a policy that is grounded in transparency and sunlight in order to highlight the point that foreign interference should be exposed to the public.”
Will the Prime Minister heed this advice, be transparent and let PMO officials testify before a parliamentary committee?
85 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:36:25 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's question and I also embrace his concerns around transparency. This is a government that has raised the bar of transparency through the creation of NSICOP and through the creation of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency, which both have robust access to classified information so we can be up front with Canadians in the ways in which we are protecting all of our institutions, especially elections.
As my colleague, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, said, we have good news. Two independent panels have concluded that both of the elections in 2019 and 2021 were free and fair. We will continue this work together.
111 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:37:08 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, they concluded overall that they were free and fair.
Last election, the G7 rapid response mechanism in Global Affairs Canada tracked Chinese Communist Party interference targeting candidates like Kenny Chiu. Despite Global Affairs tracking interference in real time during the election, nothing was done. Kenny Chiu was not informed. Clearly, the critical election incident protocol did not work.
Since the PMO had a hand in setting up this protocol, will the PMO let its officials testify in front of a committee in order to tell us why the protocol was set up the way it was?
98 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:37:51 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as my colleague knows, this government set up the SITE panel and the critical instant reporting protocol to ensure that independent, non-partisan, professional public servants would make decisions about which allegations of foreign interference would be disclosed. This is a process that has served our democracy well.
Now we will take the recommendations from Morris Rosenberg and work closely with the public service to implement them so we can build on the strong track record of this government, which remains vigilant and clear-eyed about fighting against the threats of foreign interference.
95 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:38:34 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Prime Minister initially denied allegations of foreign interference in our elections by the communist regime in Beijing. He thought he could sweep the whole thing under the rug and people would move on, but that did not happen. Suddenly, all kinds of things were revealed in the papers, on Global News, in the Globe and Mail, and the revelations keep coming. Every day, we find out more about how the communist regime in Beijing interfered in our elections. While the PM looked the other way, the Trudeau Foundation returned $200,000 to a Chinese businessman.
Why is the Prime Minister refusing to launch a public inquiry into Beijing's interference in our elections?
117 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:39:15 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as my colleague clearly stated, our government took this matter seriously the moment we took office. My colleague across the way claims people looked the other way, but he knows that is not the case. As my colleague pointed out, there were threats over 10 years ago, and if his government had taken them seriously, it might have implemented robust measures like the ones we implemented specifically to counter this kind of unacceptable interference. We will keep doing what needs to be done to strengthen our institutions.
89 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:39:55 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, if he wants to talk about the past, then let us talk about 2013. In front of a group of women gathered for a Liberal Party fundraiser, a person in the audience asked the Prime Minister what country he admired, other than Canada. He answered, and I quote: “There's a level of admiration I actually have for China. Their basic dictatorship is actually allowing them to turn their economy around on a dime.”
We will not take any lessons from the Liberal Party's past. The regime in Beijing employed a sophisticated strategy to disrupt the 2021 federal election through its diplomats and their proxies. That is what we learned from The Globe and Mail.
Why is he refusing to allow Katie Telford to testify before the committee?
134 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:40:36 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, my colleague mentioned 2013. I thought he was going to say that that was when CSIS identified the potential threat of Chinese interference in our election. Who was the minister responsible for the integrity of democratic institutions in 2013? It was the current Leader of the Opposition. He did nothing in 2013 or in 2014. He did not do anything in 2015 either.
65 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:41:15 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, there are two possibilities: Either Chinese authorities are interfering in our electoral system and we have to do everything in our power to stop them, or there is no interference and a commission of inquiry will help restore public trust in our electoral system. In any case, the best thing to do, or rather, the only thing we can do to ensure that the public continues to trust their institutions, is to launch an inquiry.
Under these circumstances, when will the government call an independent commission of public inquiry?
91 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:41:48 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as I said a few moments ago, since we formed government, we have acknowledged the threats of foreign interference in our democratic system, in our democratic institutions. That is why we amended the Canada Elections Act to prevent foreign contributions to our election campaigns. That is why we passed legislation, a bill, to create a committee in charge of overseeing the national security agencies, with representatives from all parties, including the Bloc Québécois, and we referred this important matter to those members.
88 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:42:31 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, let us be serious. The Prime Minister must realize that he is sending the wrong message by refusing to create a commission of inquiry. What does he have to hide? What is he trying to protect? Who is involved and how?
Those kinds of questions are not the right message to send. The message should be that we will never let anyone interfere in our electoral system, and we will do everything in our power to prevent any foreign interference. To do that, we need an independent commission of public inquiry.
Will they set up an independent commission of public inquiry?
103 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:43:11 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I agree with my hon. colleague that we must work together to do whatever it takes to safeguard elections in Canada and our democratic institutions.
I have good news for him: That is exactly what our government has been doing since we came to power. We are always looking for advice on how to strengthen the robust measures that are already in place.
We will continue to do whatever it takes because we agree with my colleague that this interference is completely unacceptable.
85 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:43:52 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs passed a motion calling for the creation of an independent commission of public inquiry on foreign interference in our elections.
The committee agreed with the Bloc Québécois proposal that the commission chair be appointed with the consent of all parties represented in the House. Why is that important? Because it must transcend partisan politics. What matters most is the absolute infallibility of the electoral system.
Will the government comply with the committee's request and create a commission of inquiry into foreign interference in elections?
99 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
