LILLEY: Canadians should know which MPs are involved in foreign interference

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The Canadian public should know the names of every single MP who has been assisted by a foreign government. That’s especially true for the MPs described in a new report as being “witting” participants in foreign interference.

A report from the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians confirms previous media reporting that China’s consulate in Toronto sought to support or oppose specific candidates in the 2019 election. The report says there were 11 candidates and 13 political staffers involved, “some of whom appeared to be wittingly working for the PRC (People’s Republic of China).”

At another point, the report states that a now former MP used their office to cultivate a relationship with a foreign intelligence officer.

“According to CSIS, the member of Parliament sought to arrange a meeting in a foreign state with a senior intelligence official and also proactively provided the intelligence officer with information provided in confidence,” the report states.

It’s not clear if this is the same case, or a different one, in what would amount to an accusation of spying against an MP. The report explains that MPs have often shared information on their own colleagues to foreign governments, knowing that information would be used to pressure a fellow MP to change their position.

“Providing foreign diplomatic officials with privileged information on the work or opinions of fellow Parliamentarians, knowing that such information will be used by those officials to inappropriately pressure Parliamentarians to change their positions,” the report states.

It also describes those caught up in foreign interference as being unwitting participants, meaning they didn’t know; semi-witting participants, meaning they kind of knew what was happening or ought to have known and as witting participants, meaning these MPs were fully aware of what they were doing.

The committee knows the names of these MPs, our national intelligence services know their names, the PM knows their names, but the Canadian public does not. We could be asked to vote again in an election without knowing if we are voting to support someone who is putting the best interests of a foreign country ahead of Canada’s best interests.

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We have MPs sharing information with foreign governments, we have MPs effectively spying on one another for foreign governments, and we know nothing about whom these MPs are. Nor do we know the community groups or networks foreign governments are using to engage in foreign interference.

“Foreign officials conveyed their candidate preferences to their networks, after which co-optees or proxies promoted the chosen slate to targeted groups of voters,” the report stated.

The report states most involved in these groups don’t know they are being used. Isn’t that a reason to tell them?

The report also notes that overall, the Trudeau government has been slow to respond to the issue of foreign interference and that has and will lead to problems.

“The slow response to a known threat was a serious failure and one from which Canada may feel the consequences for years to come. The implications of this inaction include the undermining of the democratic rights and fundamental freedoms of Canadians, the integrity and credibility of Canada’s parliamentary process, and public trust in the policy decisions made by the government,” the report says.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau loves to talk about defending democratic institutions, but on foreign interference he has been slow to act.

Trudeau’s Liberals denied initial media reports on the issue which have since been proven accurate, including with this NSICOP report. They shut down Parliamentary committee attempts to investigate this issue and refused calls for a public inquiry.

Trudeau then appointed his ski buddy, David Johnston, to write a report, now widely discredited, claiming there was nothing to be concerned about. A public inquiry was only called after the government was publicly shamed into doing so and even at that, they have not released all the documents needed by the inquiry.

Now we have the second report in a month with new and damning information, and the government’s response is to discount the report and say the MPs on the committee didn’t have all the information.

Why is that? Could it be because the Trudeau government is hiding information?

Canadians need to know the full story, now, including the names of MPs spying on other MPs and sharing information with foreign governments.