The public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada’s federal elections is set to kick off its initial hearings starting on Jan. 29, 2024, the commission overseeing the inquiry announced on Dec. 22.
The first phase, spanning five days, will be held at the Library and Archives Canada building on 395 Wellington Street in Ottawa. Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue will delve into alleged interference by China and other foreign actors impacting the 2019 and 2021 federal elections during this “factual” phase.
“These hearings are preliminary in that they will serve to prepare the next public hearings, at which the Commission will examine the substantive issues arising from its mandate,” Justice Hogue said in
a statement released on Dec. 22.
Initially mandated to submit a preliminary report by Feb. 29, 2024, the commission, in the latest statement, said it has requested an extension until May 3, 2024. Justice Hogue explained that the delay is to ensure a thorough and transparent process, particularly regarding classified information and intelligence.
“Ensuring that classified information, intelligence, and documents are put in a form that is such that they can be released to the public is a long and complex process. The Commission is committed to holding public hearings before it submits it first report,” she said.
The second phase, slated for the fall, will focus on potential government measures to detect and counter interference. Justice Hogue said she aims to conduct the second stage in tandem with the ongoing first stage, maintaining the overall schedule. Despite the extension for the first report, the commission believes the ultimate deadline of Dec. 31, 2024, for the submission of its final report remains feasible.
Denying Tories’ Appeal
Canada established the Foreign Interference Commission in September to address concerns regarding foreign interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.In the past year, media reports have alleged Chinese Communist Party (CCP) interference in Canada’s elections. A high-profile case involved a reported disinformation campaign targeting former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu in the 2021 elections, which allegedly led to his loss of a parliamentary seat, according to
testimonies received by a House of Commons committee.
Former Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole
said in a June 2022
CBC News interview that Beijing’s interference cost his party an estimated eight to nine seats in the 2021 federal election. Mr. O'Toole cited an internal party review conducted after the election, asserting that “influence operations by Beijing played a role in more ridings.”
The Conservatives
have protested the foreign interference commissioner’s decision to grant the party limited participation rights in the upcoming public inquiry. As “interveners,” they lack the ability to question witnesses and access non-public exhibits.
In her
Dec. 4 decision on standing applications, Justice Hogue acknowledged the Conservatives’ claim that “its candidates were among the most targeted by the Chinese government in the 2019 and 2021 general elections.” However, she argued that granting them “intervener” status “strikes an appropriate balance between recognizing the CPC’s interests in and possible contributions to this Inquiry.”
The NDP received a similar limited standing, despite candidates like MP Jenny Kwan allegedly facing interference by the Chinese regime due to her outspoken criticism of its human rights records. During
a May 29 press conference, Ms. Kwan disclosed that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) had warned her about being an “evergreen candidate,” which means she would “forever be targeted” by the Beijing regime.
Beyond election interference, The Globe and Mail referenced a 2021 CSIS assessment in
a May 1 report that detailed the CCP’s targeting of Canadian MPs. According to CSIS, China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) took “specific actions to target Canadian MPs” linked to a 2021 House of Commons motion on Beijing’s treatment of the Uyghur minority. The Globe reported that an MSS officer sought information on an unnamed Canadian MP’s relatives in the People’s Republic of China for potential sanctions. An unnamed national security source identified the MP as Michael Chong.
Recognizing the significance of Mr. Chong’s case, the commissioner allowed a five-day extension for him to submit an application for standing as an individual, independent of the Conservative Party, following the release of her Dec. 4 decision. Subsequently, Mr. Chong filed an application seeking full standing, or “full participation rights” in the inquiry. Justice Hogue granted Mr. Chong this standing in
a decision on Dec. 14.
