STATEMENT: Election Interference

February 22, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

News reports on February 17 reveal CSIS intelligence intercepted Communist Party officials from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) confirming they actively interfered to prevent Conservatives from winning the 2021 election.

The revelations from Top Secret intelligence and national security documents in the Globe and Mail are deeply disturbing and must be taken extremely seriously. These new revelations directly contradict Justin Trudeau’s claims that there was no foreign interference in our elections. Given that this intelligence was shared with Canada’s allies, it’s increasingly hard to believe that Justin Trudeau and senior Trudeau officials were not also briefed on the same intelligence.

Any violations of the Canada Elections Act must be investigated and dealt with seriously. The House of Commons Procedure and House Affairs committee are already looking into allegations that China interfered in the 2019 election campaign to support 11 candidates, most of them Liberal, in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). It’s time to expand the investigation to include the 2021 election and come up with solid proposals to address the damage and future risks.

It is also deeply disappointing that Justin Trudeau has failed to protect the Chinese community in Canada from Communist Party threats, coercion, and intimidation. No Canadian, regardless of where they or their families came from, should be subjected to pressure and intimidation from foreign powers. This is a serious undermining of our democracy.

The full extent of the Chinese interference operation is laid bare in both secret and top-secret Canadian Security Intelligence Service documents and Justin Trudeau can no longer deny it. We will keep pressuring Justin Trudeau to act to ensure free, fair and open elections and the security of our citizens on a free land.