New York Post - Once democracy, Canada is now authoritarian

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Conservatives, Bloc Québécois and New Democrat caucuses yesterday pledged enough votes, 172 against the Liberals’ 158, to force an independent public inquiry into alleged Chinese election interference. The House affairs committee today is expected to send the recommendation to the Commons.

“I think the Canadian public broadly accepts there has been significant foreign interference in our democratic processes and not a single individual has been hauled to the bar to account for any of this,” said Conservative MP Blaine Calkins (Red Deer-Lacombe, Alta.). “There have been no charges to my knowledge that have been put forward by Elections Canada.”

“Where is the missing gap in turning intelligence into evidence so we can actually prosecute those who the Canadian public broadly accept are acting with impunity?” asked MP Calkins. “Thank you for the question,” replied Adam Fisher, director general of intelligence assessments with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. “It’s a very good one. It’s something I would suggest the government has been wrestling with for some time now.”

Liberal MPs on the House affairs committee have maintained there was no proof Chinese agents interfered in the 2019 and 2021 campaigns in breach of the Canada Elections Act. Shawn Tupper, deputy public safety minister, yesterday testified the RCMP was not investigating any allegations.

“I can confirm the RCMP is not investigating any of the allegations that are arising from the last election,” testified Tupper.

“If those allegations are correct this constitutes criminal violations of the Elections Act,” said New Democrat MP Peter Julian (New Westminster-Burnaby, B.C.). “The RCMP form a critical part of the team of people who assess activities during elections,” replied Deputy Tupper. “They were aware of the information that was brought forward. They have looked at that information and have concluded they will not pursue a criminal investigation.”

MP Julian yesterday served notice of a motion that the House affairs committee “call upon the Government of Canada to launch a national public inquiry into allegations of foreign interference in Canada’s democratic system including but not limited to allegations of interference in general elections by foreign governments, that this inquiry be granted all necessary powers to call witnesses” and “have the power to order and review all documents it deems necessary for this work including documents related to national security.”

The Bloc expressed support for an independent inquiry. The Conservative Party said the investigation must be “truly independent” and “meet the following conditions: The person heading this public inquiry must be agreed upon by the House leaders of all the officially recognized parties in the House of Commons”; “The text of the NDP motion should be amended to include all parties”; and “The public inquiry must investigate abuse of diaspora groups by foreign governments.”

The Commons is currently in recess. It returns into regular session Monday.

{Only a public inquiry into allegations of election corruption will restore Canadians’ confidence that federal votes are fair, Conservative and Bloc Québécois MPs said yesterday.}
Only a public inquiry into allegations of election corruption will restore Canadians’ confidence that federal votes are fair, Conservative and Bloc Québécois MPs said yesterday. Opposition parties are expected to formally vote for an inquiry as a parliamentary order, forcing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to comply or risk censure for contempt.

“Justin Trudeau has inspired a lot of suspicion by his refusal to answer questions about his knowledge of Beijing’s interference to help him in two successive elections,” Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre told reporters. “Leaked Canadian Security Intelligence Service and Privy Council Office documents now show that Beijing worked to help elect Justin Trudeau. That is an accepted fact.”

“He doesn’t even deny it,” said Poilievre. “But he kept it hidden until courageous whistleblowers at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service released it for him. Now he refuses a public inquiry. I think Canadians of all political backgrounds are asking, what has Justin Trudeau got to hide?”

“Furthermore, why hasn’t he protected Chinese-Canadians?” said Poilievre. “In British Columbia we know Chinese-Canadians came under intimidation by the People’s Republic of China government. They were threatened. There were times when a Conservative candidate would knock on a door and the person answering would say, ‘Can we go into the back yard so we can talk without being surveilled by the regime in Beijing?’”

“I think it is disgraceful that the Prime Minister knew this and did absolutely nothing,” said Poilievre. “He kept it covered up and to this day will not even tell us how much money the Liberal Party got in donations that were funneled, clandestine donations, to his Party.”

Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet yesterday released the text of a letter to the Prime Minister stating a public inquiry must be called. “This is the only way to restore public confidence in our electoral system,” wrote Blanchet. “This is what the people demand.”

“The question is not to determine whether or not a commission of inquiry should be created in the wake of revelations about Chinese interference in both last federal elections, but when it will be created and who will be the commissioner,” wrote Blanchet. “The answer is unequivocal. It must be set up as quickly as possible, especially in a context of uncertainty over the next election, and the commissioner must be chosen by the House of Commons.”

“It is about confidence in our democracy,” wrote Blanchet. “You can count on our full and entire collaboration.”

The House affairs committee on March 2 adopted by a 6 to 5 vote a New Democrat motion demanding a “national public inquiry into allegations of foreign interference” in the 2019 and 2021 campaigns. The committee recommendation has since been tabled in the Commons awaiting a motion of concurrence that would trigger a vote of all MPs.

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Trade Minister Mary Ng will not comment on her association with a group one parliamentary witness on Friday named as a Communist Party front. Ng is one of four Liberal MPs to publicly endorse the Confederation of Toronto Chinese Canadian Organizations.

“This is but the tip of the iceberg,” witness Cheuk Kwan testified at the Commons ethic committee. “China’s interference in Canada has been soft, intangible and gradual. As a result, this build up over the years remains invisible to many Canadians.”

Kwan, a Toronto filmmaker, testified as co-chair of the Toronto Association for Democracy in China. “Urged on and supported by Chinese consulates, organizations were set up by individuals sympathetic to the regime,” he said. “Chief among them are the National Congress of Chinese Canadians, NCCC, and its successor the Confederation of Toronto Chinese Canadian Organizations.”

“These and many other proxy organizations practice the art of astroturfing, echoing the Party line to defend China’s foreign and domestic policies,” testified Kwan. “In addition to engaging friendly academics and business people to advocate on its behalf, China also spreads its tentacles to cultivate elected officials and infiltrate political institutions at all levels of Canadian society.”

Minister Ng has attended Confederation events. Her office would not comment. Records show three other Toronto-area Liberal MPs publicly endorsed the Confederation’s work: Shaun Chen (Scarborough North), Han Dong (Don Valley North) and Majid Jowhari (Richmond Hill).

Kwan testified innocuous-sounding community groups manipulated by Communist Party agents “harass and intimidate Canadians who are critical of China” including activists, dissidents and human rights advocates. “You get a phone call in the middle day asking, ‘So, how are your parents doing back in Sichuan, China?’” he said.

“Then you get the message,” said Kwan. “If you don’t behave, your parents’ phone numbers, address or even their physical well-being is under threat. It’s a very subtle threat. They have used this on many, many Chinese-Canadians.”

“How commonly known was this?” asked Conservative MP Damien Kurek (Battle River-Crowfoot, Alta.). “Very commonly known,” replied Kwan, adding: “We’ve seen a lot of this on the ground. Many of these have not been reported, or if they were reported to local police or the RCMP they would not be handled.”

Kwan urged Parliament to enact a Foreign Agents Registration Act mandating disclosure of paid China agents. “The Chinese-Canadian community and other people welcome this registry,” he said.

“This line that setting up a registry is an attack on the Chinese-Canadian community I will not buy,” said Kwan. “This is a standard line given by the Chinese Communist Party. They are using the same line.”

Trade Minister Ng on Friday said cabinet should use caution in enacting a registry of foreign agents. “We have a great responsibility to ensure that we are not unfairly or unintentionally creating a cloud that hovers over an entire community that is feeling incredibly uncertain and who have felt the discomfort of unconscious bias,” Ng told reporters.