2021 Election Monitors Were Informed Beijing Sought to Interfere in Favour of Liberals: Document

A voter casts their ballot in advance polls for the 2021 federal election, Sept. 10, 2021 in Chambly, Que. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

Election monitors during the 2021 federal election were aware that Beijing attempted to help Liberal Party candidates get elected, according a document presented to the foreign interference inquiry.

A confidential memo released April 8 by the foreign interference commission entitled “After Action Report: 2021 Federal Election,” was prepared by the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections Task Force in December 2021.

The document said that “the People’s Republic of China preferred to support Liberal Party of Canada candidates and oppose the Conservative Party of Canada.”

The memo, which was first covered by Blacklock’s Reporter, also said that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) used third-party “proxies” to conduct foreign interference on its behalf during the 2021 election and that even though CCP representatives knew they should not be involved in Canada’s elections, they “took steps to interfere regardless.”

“The Chinese Communist Party openly issued stark warnings via a propaganda media mechanism to Canadians during Election 2021,” the memo stated and noted the messaging was “primarily sought to highlight negative consequences if Canadians voted for the Conservative Party.”

The memo goes on to state that the CCP preferred to see a Liberal Party minority government elected as the Liberals were perceived to be “friendlier” to China and that a minority would ensure “political infighting would inhibit Government of Canada policy responses to the People’s Republic of China.”

The task force stated that Beijing had a keen interest in the 2021 election due to the Tories “actively discussing” China-related matters and having a tough-on-China policy they viewed as “contrary to their interests.”

Former Tory leader Erin O'Toole, who led his party during the 2021 election, testified before the foreign interference inquiry last week, saying that his party may have lost as many as nine ridings due to CCP interference.

Several current and former Tory MPs have also testified regarding their own experiences with alleged Chinese election interference, including former MP Kenny Chiu, who was allegedly subjected to a misinformation campaign on Chinese social media during the election campaign. He lost the Steveston-Richmond East seat in 2021 to Liberal MP Liberal Parm Bains.

After it emerged that both the federal government and the election authority knew of interference in his riding in 2021 but declined to inform him, Mr. Chiu told the inquiry, “I thought I would be protected by my country. And I was deeply troubled and disappointed that I was exposed, and the government didn’t seem to care.”