NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said he was “alarmed” after reading the unredacted version of an intel watchdog report indicating some parliamentarians have been knowingly colluding with foreign actors, adding that those MPs are “traitors” to Canada.
“I am more alarmed today than I was yesterday, after having read the report,” Mr. Singh told reporters on June 13 after reading the report by the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) published earlier this month.
“I am more convinced than ever of the conclusions of the NSICOP committee and the report that some parliamentarians are, in the words of the intelligence services, ’semi-witting or witting' participants in the efforts of foreign states to interfere in our politics.”
The report did not name any of the implicated MPs or senators, and said prosecution of the individuals was unlikely to take place due to Canada’s “failure to address the long-standing issue of protecting classified information and methods in judicial processes.”
While Mr. Singh said he could not reveal the names of the implicated lawmakers without jeopardizing the work of Canada’s national security entities, he said their behaviour was “deeply unethical and contrary to the oaths and affirmations parliamentarians take to conduct themselves in the best interest of Canada.”
“There are also politicians at all levels of government who have benefited from foreign interference. Some of this behaviour absolutely appears to be criminal, and should be prosecuted,” he said.
Removing MPs
On June 10, Mr. Singh told reporters that he would remove any MP from his caucus who is found to have “knowingly worked with a foreign government to undermine Canada.”He said on June 13 that all parties should remove MPs that were named in the report, as it would “have a deterring effect on this type of behaviour.”
He also said he would not be removing any MPs from his caucus on June 13.
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre has also said he would eject any caucus member found to have been colluding with foreign powers.
Mr. Poilievre has refused to get clearance to read the classified reports, saying he does not want to be limited in what he can tell Canadians. The Conservatives have pushed for the Liberal government to release the names of the MPs involved in foreign interference, saying that not doing so casts suspicion on all lawmakers.
Earlier this week, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May told reporters that after reading the report, she had “no worries about anyone in the House of Commons.” She said the work of NSICOP had been “eclipsed by a totally understandable media firestorm which, in my view, is overblown.”
