Interference Inquiry Set to Resume Public Hearings, Work on Alleged MP Collusion Continues

A person enters the Public Inquiry Into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions as it begins hearings, Jan. 29, 2024 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

The federal inquiry into foreign interference will soon resume, with over a month of hearings and policy consultations starting in mid-September.

Public hearings will begin on Sept. 16 and run through Oct. 16, according to a notice released on Aug. 29. The commission plans to rehear testimony from some witnesses who previously presented during the in-camera session, aiming to maximize transparency. Summaries of the evidence will be released during the public sessions, the notice stated.

The inquiry was launched amid growing concerns about foreign interference in Canada, particularly from China, which is alleged to have engaged in influence activities during the 2019 and 2021 federal elections and other democratic processes.

In addition to the inquiry, the RCMP has intensified its investigations into the Chinese regime’s activities in Canada, including the operation of secret police stations and the intimidation of diaspora communities.

Earlier this year, the Foreign Interference Commission completed an initial phase of hearings that investigated alleged interference by China, as well as Russia and India, in the past two federal elections. The Commission said that the upcoming hearings will focus on assessing Canada’s ability to detect and counter foreign interference.

Collusion Probe

In addition to probing election interference, the commission will also review allegations of parliamentarians colluding with foreign actors. MPs voted in June to expand the commission’s mandate following the release of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) “Special Report” on foreign interference.

The NSICOP report flagged “troubling intelligence” that some parliamentarians are “semi-witting or witting” participants in foreign interference in Canadian politics. Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue said in a June 17 notice that the inquiry would examine the issue following a MPs vote in favour of doing so.

The Commission said its counsel is reviewing the information behind key statements in the NSICOP report. While committing to upholding its legal obligations, the Commission emphasized that its role is “not to assign guilt or responsibility.”

“Other entities have the jurisdiction to identify and pursue any individuals who may have committed an offence, if warranted,” the notice stated. “Indeed, the Commission’s Terms of Reference expressly instruct the Commissioner to perform her duties without expressing any conclusion or recommendation regarding the civil or criminal liability of any person or organization.”

Consultations

The factual phase of the hearings will be followed by a week of policy consultations from Oct. 21 to Oct. 25. The consultations, organized by  the Commission’s research council, will take the form of roundtable discussions where experts will talk about how to better protect federal democratic processes from foreign interference.

The Commission has also invited public input on foreign interference through a consultation that ended on Aug. 12. It said more than 100 submissions have been received and are currently being analyzed by Commission counsel. A summary of these submissions will be made public a later date.

A final report on foreign interference is due by the end of the year.