Parliament Hill staff on Thursday, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s national security advisor, confirmed they withheld spy documents requested by the China inquiry. Trudeau’s senior advisor Nathalie Drouin testified at the House Affairs Committee she did not know how many confidential memos were concealed, per Blacklock’s Reporter. “It is impossible to respond on how many we have withheld,” said Drouin. Drouin claimed no “relevant” documents were withheld but was vague when pressed to be more specific.Cabinet said it provided some 46,000 documents to Justice Marie-Josée Hogue, head of the Commission on Foreign Interference that is investigating suspected illegal acts by Chinese agents in the last two general elections.“People are right to be worried,” Hogue wrote in an initial report May 3.Documents disclosed to date confirmed foreign agents interfered to benefit Liberal candidates in at least three ridings: Vancouver East, Steveston-Richmond East, B.C. and Don Valley North, Ont.“Was there foreign interference targeting the 2019 and 2021 general elections? Yes I have no difficulty in concluding there was,” wrote Hogue.The commission by the end of 2024 is to publish a second report detailing why cabinet aides failed to alert MPs or the general public. “Who knew what, when, and what did the government do about it?” asked New Democrat MP Jenny Kwan, who formally complained of suspicions the Chinese Consulate in Vancouver made illegal campaign donations to aid her Liberal opponent.“The commissioner is not getting access to all the documents,” MP Kwan on Thursday told the committee. “She has made the request and there are documents that are being withheld.”“How many cabinet documents are being withheld?”“I find this question interesting,” replied Drouin.“I don’t have numbers. Many documents have been withheld.”“All relevant documents that were to the point, talking about foreign interference, protecting our democracy — this is why four big memoranda to cabinet, in order to be transparent, have been shared with them. They are the ones to the point that are really helping the Commission.”“Then can you confirm there are no documents being withheld that would assist or provide any insight to Commissioner Hogue to fulfill her mandate?” asked Kwan. “I cannot say yes or no,” replied Drouin.The Senate, meanwhile, is on the Third Reading debate for Bill C-70L: An Act Respecting Countering Foreign Interference, a bill mandating public disclosure of Canadians lobbying for foreign governments.Liberal-appointed Sen. Yuen Pau Woo protested the bill and claimed it would result in a McCarthyist witch hunt. Fellow Liberal appointees in the Senate ridiculed Woo’s claim.“That is how McCarthyism started,” Senator Woo said in the Third Reading debate. “What if a parliamentary delegation came back from Beijing and advocated for more flights between China and Canada? What if they lobbied for Canada to not follow the lead of the United States in imposing massive tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles? Would those examples make you more inclined to insist on registration?”“This is not a debate about whether we should be pro or anti-China. It is a debate about the right of Canadians to hold political views, especially during an election. Will we criminalize that with this bill?”“What advice would you give to Chinese Canadians who want to build good ties with their motherland, build good ties with the People’s Republic of China?” asked Woo.Supporters of Bill C-70 including fellow Liberal appointees scoffed at Woo’s claims.“There is no danger of McCarthyism here,” said Sen. Pierre Dalphond. “I think this is unfortunately an overreach comment.”Woo proposed an amendment to weaken Bill C-70 by removing a requirement that Canadians acting “in association with” a foreign government disclose their affiliation. The amendment was defeated by a 54 to 17 vote.
