Achi news desk-
OTTAWA –
Chief electoral officer Stephane Perrault says Canada’s spy agency tipped him off during the 2019 general election about possible foreign interference in a political nomination contest.
A document presented Thursday at a commission of inquiry into foreign interference says Perrault decided at that point that no action could be taken on the matter of Toronto’s trip to Don Valley North.
As head of Elections Canada, Perrault is responsible for ensuring that Canadians can exercise their democratic rights to vote and stand as a candidate.
The document, a summary of the commission’s classified interview with Perrault, says he noted that participation in a nomination contest is not regulated in the same way as an election.
Perrault also pointed out that no complaints had been submitted by other participants in the nomination competition.
A media report in 2023 claimed that China had interfered with the nomination of Han Dong as the Liberal candidate in Don Valley North in 2019.
At Thursday’s inquiry, Perrault was asked if the matter brought to him by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service related to the Liberal party nomination contest.
Perrault said he had no authority to go beyond what was stated in the document.
In the interview with the commission, he said that following the 2019 election, a nomination competition report audit had been carried out as part of the normal process.
The file was referred to the Office of the Elections Commissioner of Canada, which is conducting investigations, for reasons possibly unrelated to the alleged interference, such as accuracy, completeness or missing filing deadlines.
The inquiry’s hearings are looking into alleged interference by China, India, Russia and others in the 2019 and 2021 general elections.
In general, Perrault told the inquiry that he had confidence in the integrity of the last two elections in terms of his mandate.
In his report last May, David Johnston, a special rapporteur appointed by the government to investigate possible foreign interference, said there were inconsistencies with Dong’s nomination in 2019.
Johnston said there was a “substantial suspicion” that the irregularities were linked to the Chinese consulate in Toronto, with whom Dong maintained a relationship.
However, Johnston found no evidence that Dong was aware of the irregularities or the consul’s possible involvement in his nomination.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was briefed on the irregularities, although no specific recommendation was provided, Johnston added. “He concluded that there was no basis to replace Mr Dong as the candidate for Don Valley North. This was not an unreasonable conclusion based on the information available to the prime minister at the time.”
During testimony Thursday, Perrault said he agreed with the idea that a person who wants to vote in a political party nomination contest should first be required to purchase a party membership using a Canadian payment source such as a bank account or credit card.
The investigation, which is led by Quebec judge Marie-Josee Hogue, expects to hear testimony from more than 40 people, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, cabinet ministers and representatives of political parties.
An initial report of the commission’s findings is expected on 3 May.
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on March 28, 2024.
