Federal election watchdogs warned during the 2025 campaign that Conservative candidate Joe Tay required private security after a wave of intimidation linked to Chinese Communist Party agents, parliamentary testimony revealed Tuesday, even as senior officials insisted the election outcome itself was not compromised.Blacklock's Reporter says appearing before the House affairs committee, national security advisor Nathalie Drouin said monitors identified repeated attempts to undermine the democratic process in Tay’s Toronto-area riding of Don Valley North, but concluded the overall vote remained legitimate. “We saw attempts, but we believe the overall result was fair and sound for Canadians,” Drouin told MPs.Drouin confirmed election officials offered private security to Tay, noting the program was available to any candidate or MP facing credible threats. Tay, a Toronto-based podcaster and outspoken critic of Beijing, ultimately finished second in the riding, losing by 5,276 votes.Concerns surrounding Tay’s campaign escalated after election monitors confirmed that Chinese agents circulated mock “wanted” posters bearing his image, echoing a bounty issued by Hong Kong police over his pro-democracy commentary. Tay told MPs last December that intimidation went well beyond online harassment..“During my nomination, a venue owner who hosted a birthday party where I was invited was summoned twice by the Chinese Consulate for allowing me on the premises,” Tay testified. At one point, he said, RCMP advised him to suspend campaigning altogether due to safety concerns.Tay described being followed and photographed alongside volunteers, with unfamiliar vehicles monitoring their homes. He also recounted that a woman who publicly backed his campaign received a parcel containing a dress splashed with red paint to resemble blood. In other cases, Chinese seniors were allegedly visited in their apartments and warned that voting for Tay would cost them their visas to China.Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison told the committee that, ahead of the election, Ottawa summoned the entire diplomatic corps — including the Chinese ambassador — to outline the rules under the Canada Elections Act. “That had never been done,” Morrison said, adding the move appeared to curb overt misconduct by foreign diplomats..Despite the testimony, Morrison maintained that interference during the 45th general election did not rise above an existing baseline. That assurance drew sharp skepticism from Conservative MPs.“Are you completely confident the results we have in the House of Commons are a true reflection of the will of the Canadian public without foreign interference?” asked Alberta MP Blaine Calkins. Morrison replied that he was.St. Albert–Sturgeon River MP Michael Cooper called Tay’s experience alarming. “He was warned by the RCMP that it was unsafe to canvass,” Cooper said, questioning how such circumstances could still be considered a free and fair election. “Most Canadians would be absolutely shocked that this sort of thing would be happening in Canada,” he added. “It’s quite astounding.”
