44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 6, 2023 11:00AM
- Mar/6/23 2:18:43 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, for years, CSIS has assessed that Beijing's foreign interference “can pose serious threats” to the security of Canada. CSIS tracked this interference and brought it to the attention of the Prime Minister, as have others, like Global Affairs Canada's G7 rapid response mechanism.
CSIS 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” and that “Canada can counter [foreign interference] activities by building resilience.” To build resilience, Canadians, communities and all levels of government need to be aware of foreign interference threat activities.
The Prime Minister has ignored this advice. He needs to heed the advice of experts, treat Beijing's foreign interference as the serious threat it is and tell us and Canadians exactly what is going on.
154 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:21:45 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, it will come as no surprise to you that I disagree with the opposition leader's false claims that the government did nothing. As soon as we came to power, we took action against foreign interference in our elections. Ours is the only government ever to have done so.
When my friend, the opposition leader, was the minister responsible for democratic institutions, he did nothing when intelligence agencies raised the issue over 10 years ago.
77 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:23:02 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we take the issue of foreign interference in Canada's electoral system, any foreign interference, very seriously.
That is why when we formed government, we took a number of unprecedented steps that did not exist when my friend was a minister in the previous government. We created the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians precisely so that parliamentarians from all political parties could have access to classified information and published reports for Canadians. We set up an independent panel of senior public servants to follow exactly the issue of foreign interference in the elections, and we will continue to do more.
104 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:25:57 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition was the minister responsible for democratic reform in the previous Conservative government.
In 2013, CSIS identified foreign interference as a challenge in the electoral context. Mr. Harper's former national security advisor raised this publicly in 2010, 13 years ago. When my hon. friend was the minister responsible for this very file, he did absolutely nothing to deal with the question of foreign interference.
I know he is frustrated that we have done so much. The good news is that we will continue to do more because we take this issue very seriously.
100 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:28:02 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the revelations about Chinese interference reported in The Globe and Mail are cause for concern.
Whether the outcome of the last election would have been the same is not the issue. Any time the integrity of the democratic process is threatened, it is the responsibility of all of us in the House to defend that process. Public trust in our democratic system is at stake here. This goes far beyond partisan politics.
Will the Prime Minister create an independent commission of public inquiry on foreign interference in our elections?
91 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:29:27 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the experts. Jean-Pierre Kingsley, the former chief electoral officer, Gerald Butts, a former advisor to the Prime Minister, and even Morris Rosenberg, all agree that there needs to be a public inquiry on the integrity of our elections.
We can look all we want, but it seems that no one is opposed to shedding light on any threat to the functioning of our democratic system. There must be no doubts about the legitimacy of the presence of a member in the House. That is something we definitely do not want.
When will the government establish a public and independent inquiry on foreign interference in elections?
112 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:30:50 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are very troubled about the allegations of foreign interference in our elections, but the Prime Minister does not seem concerned at all.
The former head of CSIS, the former head of Elections Canada and even Morris Rosenberg, who wrote the 2021 federal election report, are all encouraging the Prime Minister to go forward with a national public inquiry on foreign interference. PROC of the House of Commons has even adopted an NDP motion that the House may vote on soon, calling for a public inquiry as well.
Therefore, why is the Prime Minister so opposed? Why is he refusing to get answers for Canadians?
107 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- 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 2:32:52 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 2:34:49 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 2:35:49 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 2:37:08 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 2:43:11 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
- Mar/6/23 2:44:36 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I agree with my hon. colleague that we must work together, as parliamentarians, precisely to counter foreign interference in our democratic institutions.
My colleague knows this very well because she sits on the parliamentary committee. I look forward to seeing her when I attend on Thursday.
We have been transparent with parliamentarians, but we have also introduced important measures to counter foreign interference. These measures are working very well.
71 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/6/23 2:46:29 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, Conservatives have tried to bring the Prime Minister's chief of staff to testify at committee three times. The Liberals, with the support of the NDP, blocked that effort three times, despite scandalous reports that senior PMO officials had been briefed by CSIS about Beijing's interference and did nothing about it.
Is the Prime Minister shielding his chief of staff because he knows his PMO turned a blind eye to Beijing's interference?
76 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
Madam Speaker, Conservatives have been calling for the government to deal with the very real threat of foreign interference for years. This is not only a threat on the government side but also something that takes on other forms, such as cyber-espionage.
Not everything in this bill is terrible, but it could have been structured better. As the previous member from Winnipeg said, Conservatives on the committee will work to make the legislation better and ask qualifying questions. Moreover, we will pull support if the current government continues to stonewall and ask us to trust it without offering better arguments or better amendments.
104 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
