Federal campaign monitors “were seeing implications that foreign interference could be occurring” in the 2021 election but kept suspicions to themselves, the House affairs committee was told yesterday. MPs expressed astonishment that no one was told, according to Blacklock's Reporter..“We determined a threshold – and this is not a bright line, this is a value judgment on the part of the panel – had not been met,” testified Rob Stewart, a deputy trade minister who served as an election monitor. “That, as it happened, means we did not define a threshold since it was not meant. But we were seeing indications that foreign interference could be occurring.”.“No candidates were informed of interference,” said Conservative MP Michael Cooper (St. Albert-Edmonton, AB). “What is the threshold for informing a candidate?”.“The threshold for deciding foreign interference committed by a foreign entity with covert and clandestine properties has occurred,” replied Stewart. “The threshold for that determination is high.”.Cabinet in 2019 established a task force comprised of senior civil servants, the RCMP, Privy Council and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to watch for election interference. Deputy Stewart was a member of the 2021 election panel. He yesterday acknowledged the group heard complaints of Chinese agents targeting Conservative Party candidates but took no action..Deputy Foreign Minister David Morrison, another 2021 election monitor, said he was aware of “unusual activity” but that it “was not possible to attribute that necessarily to non-Canadian sources.” None of the cases were reported..“It seems to me it’s a threshold that almost renders the process useless given the fact that if you’re going to combat foreign interference, the most effective way of doing it is in real time when it’s happening,” said MP Cooper. “That didn’t happen.”.Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perreault testified he was aware of numerous allegations that Chinese Communist Party agents breached the Canada Elections Act. “I don’t have any factual information about foreign interference,” said Perreault..“What prevents you from taking pre-emptive action?” asked Bloc Québécois MP Christine Normandin (Saint-Jean, QC). “Well, one of the constraints is we live in a free and open society,” replied Perreault. “When we live in an open society there are risks that foreign governments take advantage of that. We don’t want measures that involve actual surveillance of Canadians.”.Caroline Simard, the federal Elections Commissioner, yesterday acknowledged receiving numerous complaints regarding 23 separate incidents in the last two campaigns. Simard would not discuss them..“We have conducted a rigorous and thorough review of every complaint and every piece of information brought to our intention concerning allegations of foreign interference in both the 2019 and 2021 general elections,” said Commissioner Simard. “This review is ongoing as I speak to determine whether there is any tangible evidence of wrongdoing under the Canada Elections Act.”
