MPs Targeted by Chinese Hackers Caught in ‘Scatter-Gun’ Attack, Interference Inquiry Hears

Canadian co-chairs for the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance, Conservative MP for Sherwood Park-Fort Saskatchewan Garnett Genuis (R) and Liberal MP for Scarborough-Guildwood John McKay, appear at the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions in Ottawa on Sept. 17, 2024. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld

Two Canadian MPs described for the Foreign Interference Inquiry how they were targeted by Chinese hackers in 2021 because of their work with international democratic legislators against Beijing’s human rights abuses.

Liberal MP John McKay and Conservative MP Garnett Genuis testified before the Foreign Interference Inquiry on Sept. 17 that the Chinese cyber attack was aimed at 18 Canadians on the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC).

The MPs said the attack signals the significance of the international coalition of parliamentarians from dozens of countries in countering the communist regime’s abuses, and McKay raised concerns that the group’s efforts may continue to attract unwelcome attention from the regime.

When asked why he believes he was targeted by Chinese hackers, McKay cited his various roles in Parliament and his advocacy with IPAC on issues that he said were “unwelcome in Beijing.” McKay currently serves as chair of the House of Commons National Defence Committee and the Canada-U.S. Permanent Joint Board on Defence, roles he suggested could attract the interest of Chinese spies.

“Those are the direct security things,” McKay told the commission. He also cited activities with organizations such as IPAC, being a former chair of the Taiwan Friendship Committee and other roles, as well as “articles and interviews, possibly all of that leads to something.”

“I’m more inclined to think this is just a scatter-gun approach and we were caught up in the net of interest,” he added.

Genuis said he also believes the cyberattack was “a generalized targeting of IPAC members,” adding that it suggests recognition of IPAC’s advocacy on human rights and issues like Taiwan, Uyghurs, and others.

IPAC is a legislative network focused on issues related to China. Genuis said the group advocates for a “realistic approach” toward the regime that prioritizes human rights and universal dignity, contrary to the appeasement strategy, which he said “has not been effective.”

“Because of that success, we have good reason to believe that IPAC has become a particular target of [Chinese Communist Party] interference operations here in Canada and around the world.”

Information Sharing

Genuis and McKay have criticized the federal government for keeping targeted parliamentarians in the dark for about a year after receiving U.S. intelligence about the threat.

Following the 2021 cyberattack, the FBI had alerted IPAC about the attempt and notified allied governments but did not directly inform legislators outside the United States due to sovereignty concerns, Genuis told the Foreign Interference Commission.

Instead, the MPs learned about the Chinese cyberattack through a U.S. indictment unsealed in March this year. The indictment charged seven APT31 hackers, detailing their 14-year campaign targeting various political and business figures, as well as critics of the Beijing regime.

Amid concerns from MPs about why they weren’t alerted of the attack, Mathieu Gravel, spokesperson for the House of Commons Speaker’s Office, said the Commons administration had prevented the attempted hack and therefore “there were no cybersecurity impacts to any Members or their communications,” Gravel said in an April 30 statement to The Epoch Times.

The investigation into China’s cyberattack targeting parliamentarians has been assigned to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (PROC).

In June, Caroline Xavier, chief of the Communications Security Establishment, testified in Parliament that the intelligence agency had informed House of Commons IT security officials about the threat after receiving U.S. intelligence. This included sharing the list of targeted parliamentarians.

“I recognize that we’re going to learn from this incident and hopefully get a better understanding, especially from the study that you'll do, on how we might do something differently,” Xavier told the PROC.

Genuis and several other targeted MPs have been questioning which government department should be responsible for informing victims in such cases. He reiterated this concern at the Foreign Interference hearing.

“The most fundamental thing is that when government becomes aware of threats, they should talk to [parliamentarians] about it,” he said. “It remains mysterious to me why nobody thought I had a right to know this information that was very important to how I would protect myself and the people that I correspond with. I think this is a big failure.”

Noé Chartier contributed to this report.