Achi news desk-
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he “looks forward” to answering questions about foreign interference in a federal inquiry into the matter next week.
However, Trudeau was not ready to answer those questions at a press conference on Friday. When asked directly about an alleged $250,000 fund from the Chinese government that may have been intended to interfere in the recent federal election, Trudeau spoke about how seriously he says his government is taking the issue in general.
“The question of foreign intervention is a very important question,” Trudeau said in Calgary on Friday.
“Therefore, as a government we have taken significant steps to ensure, for example, that our elections will continue to be free and fair despite what we have known for years is continuous attempts at interference by various foreign parties.”
When asked about a follow-up to the Canadian intelligence documents pointing to irregularities in former Liberal MP Han Dong’s 2019 candidacy, allegedly compiled by the Chinese consulate in Toronto, Trudeau declined to answer.
“I expect to get all kinds of questions in committee next week,” Trudeau said.
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CSIS director David Vigneault said Thursday that his agency has intelligence ahead of the 2019 federal election that the Chinese government tried to transfer — through a network of “threat actors” — about $250,000, possibly to interfere in the Canadian election.
Global News first reported these allegations in 2022, citing national security sources.
The CSIS summary says, “11 political candidates and 13 political staffers have been assessed as being involved or affected by this group of threat actors.”
The intelligence agency uses the term “threat actors” in the document to refer to officials connected to the government in Beijing who work “covertly to advance China’s interest through Canadian democratic institutions.”
The information released to the investigation by CSIS said seven candidates from the Liberal Party of Canada and four candidates from the Conservative Party of Canada were allegedly involved as part of the network.
“Some of these threat actors received financial support from the People’s Republic of China. For example, it is likely that there were at least two transfers of funds of approximately $250,000 from PRC officials in Canada, possibly for purposes related to (foreign interference), although apparently not in an attempt to covertly fund the 11 candidates “, the CSIS document reads.
CSIS says the money was funneled through “an influential community leader, to a 2019 federal election candidate’s staff member and then to an Ontario MPP.”
Vigneault presented the information with the caveat that it is an intelligence summary and not necessarily a collection of facts, adding that it may require further investigation and context.
He said his words were “carefully chosen to make sure they deliver.” [the] Commissioner and Canadians the most accurate description possible of what we know while protecting classified information.”
The judge presiding over the investigation, Marie-José Hogue, also has access to all the secret intelligence that could not be made public. It will consider all the information while preparing its first report, due on May 3.
— with files from Global’s David Akin and Turia Yazari.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
