‘We’re Close to Treason’: Former CSIS Officer Decries Lack of Accountability On Foreign Interference

Michel Juneau-Katsuya, former chief of the Asia-Pacific unit at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), is seen on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on May 2, 2023. The Canadian Press/Justin Tang

A former officer with Canada’s spy agency says that individuals involved in the political process should have to declare they will not cooperate with a foreign power, adding that they should serve jail time if caught doing so.

“Because we’re close to treason here, literally,” said Michel Juneau-Katsuya, former chief of the Asia-Pacific Unit within the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).

Juneau-Katsuya, who left the agency in the early 2000s, was testifying before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (PROC) on May 11, as part of its study on foreign interference.

The former officer, known for his explosive comments on the matter, said every government since Brian Mulroney’s has been compromised by agents of communist China.

He also told the ethics committee in March that a new independent agency with arrest powers should be created to tackle foreign interference, with CSIS and the RCMP unable to stop the threat, and the government being penetrated.

Juneau-Katsuya made several recommendations to PROC, his first pertained to making it mandatory for electoral candidates, political staff, and volunteers to sign a declaration that they’re not “under the influence or acting on behalf of a foreign government or entity.”

“This form will clearly warn of possible criminal procedures in case of intentional deception,” he said, suggesting offenders should be sent to prison.

“No fine, no suspended sentences or anything of that nature.”

He made other serious claims, such as that some staff at Global Affairs Canada are under the influence of Chinese agents.

“My speculation as an investigator is that unfortunately, at Foreign Affairs or Global affairs today, we have some people working naively and non-intentionally or maybe intentionally, on behalf of China, and a certain sort of shake-up must be done on that site as well,” he said.

Juneau-Katsuya supported his claim by pointing to how much time it took to declare a Chinese diplomat persona non grata.

The Globe and Mail reported on May 1 that a Chinese consular officer in Toronto, Zhao Wei, had been involved in efforts to target Conservative MP Micheal Chong and his family over his advocacy for human rights in China.

Zhao was declared persona non grata by Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly on May 8. She said the decision was made after a “careful consideration of all factors at play,” with the government anticipating retaliation.

The next day, Beijing announced the expulsion of the Canadian consul in Shanghai, a diplomat higher in rank than Zhao.

On the issue of interference in the Canadian democratic process, NDP MP Matthew Green asked Juneau-Katsuya whether he had ever come across information of any quality that foreign actors had used the nomination process to find preferred candidates.

“Worse than that,“ Juneau-Katsuya replied. ”I’ve seen candidates going to the consulate and asking for their help in order to be elected, and he got elected.”

Two elected officials at the federal and provincial levels have left their party caucuses in recent weeks after media reports based on national security leaks alleged they were involved in Beijing’s foreign interference network.

Another one of Juneau-Katsuya’s recommendations was to remove the possibility of foreigners from voting in party nominations. He said it’s “obvious nonsense” that this is allowed.

The Liberal Party requirement for membership says that members can include those who “ordinarily live in Canada,” whereas all other parties limit membership to citizens or permanent residents since they need to pay for membership, a kind of political donation.