Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue has released her final report on the federal investigation into foreign interference, which details foreign meddling in Canadian elections.
The report, made up of several volumes, details the instances and conclusions involving foreign meddling in the last two federal elections.
Hogue in the report said there's "no evidence of traitors," though she recommended multiple recommendations. Simultaneously wit the release of the report, Hogue spoke to reporters about her conclusions.
However, after her remarks, she refused to take any questions, and abruptly walked off-stage.
The Conservatives immediately following the release of the final report released a statement that it "amounts to proof that the Liberal government failed to protect our democracy from foreign meddling in the 2019 and 2021 general elections."
A National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) report issued last spring said there were “a few” parliamentarians "witting or semi-witting” operating on behalf of foreign entities. Hogue earlier said that though the commission has access to the NSICOP report, names will not be named.
Hogue acknowledged “certain foreign states are attempting to interfere in our electoral processes and democratic institutions;" however, she said “this is not a new phenomenon … states have been trying to interfere with each other since the dawn of time.”
What is new, said Hogue, “are the means being deployed by these states [and] the extent to which the phenomenon seems to be taking hold, and the fact that it is being talked about publicly.”
“Our democratic institutions have remained robust in the face of attempted foreign interference, although they are a very small number of situations where foreign interference may have had some impact on the outcome of an election contest, or the result of an election in a given riding, foreign interference did not impact the outcome of the last two general elections," said Hogue at a press conference Tuesday morning.
Hogue further acknowledged some MPs may have been “manipulated [by] a foreign state, sometimes without knowing anything about it.”
“But again, so far, this does not seem to have led to any real gains for the [foreign] states," she said.
“Nor have I seen any evidence to suggest that there are currently so-called traitors in Parliament."
“I saw evidence of some concerning behavior, the evidence does not show any MPs complying with foreign states against Canada's interest.”
Hogue's most significant conclusion is Canada needs to focus on combatting "disinformation and misinformation," some of which comes from media, and some from foreign states.
“Above all, I found that the government has been overall a poor communicator when it comes to foreign interference," said Hogue.
“Most Canadians first learned about foreign interference through media reports, without government being the source of information communicated. This should not have been the case. The government needs to better inform the public, and it needs to be more transparent.”
“Foreign actors are no longer content to use traditional means to interfere. They are also using sophisticated technological means and increasingly showing disinformation in traditional media, but above all, on social media, distinguishing what is true and what is false is becoming increasingly difficult, and the consequences are, in my view, extraordinarily harmful.”
“The greatest threat, the one that I believe threatens the very existence of our democracy, is disinformation.”
Hogue’s report “confirms many of the serious concerns that Conservatives have raised over the past two years surrounding foreign interference in our democracy,” wrote the Tories in a statement.
The Conservatives focused on Hogue’s admission that “foreign states are trying to interfere in our democratic institutions, including electoral processes” and her confirmation that foreign interference “may have had some impact on the outcome of a [Liberal] nomination contest or the result of an election in a given riding.”
As disclosed earlier in the investigation, evidence shows Beijing interfered in the 2019 Liberal nomination race in Don Valley North, and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) meddled to defeat former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu in Steveston–Richmond East during the 2021 general election.
Hogue also earlier confirmed the Conservative party during the 2021 election was the target of foreign disinformation from the CCP.
“All this evidence amounts to proof that the Liberal government failed to protect our democracy from foreign meddling in the 2019 and 2021 general elections. It also leaves Canadians with concerns that the government failed to inform the public or take appropriate action to stop this interference because it was in the political interest of the Liberal party,” wrote the Conservatives Tuesday.
Liberal leadership candidate Chrystia Freeland, contrary to the Tories' statement, said she "welcomes Justice Hogue's recommendations."
Freeland said if she were prime minister, her government would "take foreign interference seriously — and will never risk our national security for public gain."
"Canada could have and should have done better," wrote Freeland in a statement after the final report was released. She promised if she wins the leadership race and becomes de facto prime minister, she would get briefed on national security "every day... then take action."
Freeland further promised to "declassify all intelligence and evidence of foreign interference in federal elections over the last two decades" and "require all party leaders in Parliament to obtain top security clearance."
The final Commission on Foreign Interference report, originally due December 31, but Hogue was granted a one-month extension, still does not name names of Parliament Hill spies. It proposed 51 recommendations on how Ottawa can curb foreign interference.
Yet, with the prorogation of Parliament, the House of Commons cannot pass new legislation.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on January 6 announced his intent to resign. He did not call a snap election, which would have given Canada a clean slate and the ability to form a new government.
Instead, Trudeau prorogued parliament while the Liberal party conducts a leadership contest. The victor will become prime minister until an election is called, or October 21, the next scheduled election.
Hogue released the commission’s initial report in May, which analyzed foreign interference from China, India and Russia during the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. Though several instances of foreign meddling were detailed, the commission concluded it didn’t have a significant enough impact to affect the outcome of those elections.
The commission said in its initial report evidence shows some riding were affected by foreign interference, "but this cannot be said with certainty."
"Our systems remain sound," Hogue said at the time.
"Voters were able to cast their ballots, their votes were duly registered and counted and there is nothing to suggest that there was any interference whatsoever in this regard."
The commission’s second phase examined the federal government’s capacity to protect itself from foreign interference.
Hearings were held in September and October, culminating in testimony from Trudeau himself. Trudeau, who had read the top-secret NSICOP report, baselessly accused the Conservatives of spying on behalf of foreign governments.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre immediately called Trudeau’s bluff, called him a liar, and told him to release the names of compromised parliamentarians.
Poilievre did not read the report himself, citing the fact that if he did obtain the security clearance to do so, he would be gagged from talking about it.