A petition tabled in the House of Commons is calling for mandatory national security background checks for all candidates seeking high office in Canada, following a series of controversial resignations and disqualifications within the Liberal Party. Blacklock's Reporter says the measure is sponsored by Liberal MP Robert Morrissey (Egmont, P.E.I.) and responds to growing alarm over potential foreign interference in Canadian politics.“National security is a fundamental concern for all Canadians and public confidence in the integrity of political leaders is essential to a functioning democracy,” reads Petition E-6489. .The document argues that recent developments have underscored the need for “urgent and proactive safeguards” to protect political institutions from external threats.The petition calls on Parliament to require “a comprehensive review of potential security risks associated with political leadership in Canada.” If adopted, mandatory checks would apply to all individuals seeking party leadership or other senior political roles.Morrissey, a former chair of the Commons human resources committee, has not publicly commented on his decision to support the petition..In the past five months, four Liberal MPs have either resigned or been removed from candidacy.MP Paul Chiang (Markham–Unionville, Ont.), vice chair of the Canada-China Legislative Association, stepped down April 1 after threatening to arrest a critic of the Chinese Communist Party.MP Han Dong (Don Valley North, Ont.) exited federal politics on March 30 amid concerns over his repeated contact with Chinese consular officials, which had drawn the attention of the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service.Earlier, ex-MP Ruby Dhalla (Brampton–Springdale, Ont.) was barred from a Liberal leadership race on February 21 over alleged “non-disclosure of material facts and inaccurate financial reporting,” according to a Party statement.On March 20, MP Chandra Arya (Nepean, Ont.) was dropped from the leadership contest over suspected connections to the Government of India..Prime Minister Mark Carney, addressing the issue on March 26, said internal vetting processes led to candidate reviews, including his own.“Certain information came to light,” Carney stated, though he noted he was not personally informed of all details.“I can assure you information we have, I am saying broadly as a party, not me personally because I don’t have the specific information, is shared with the relevant authorities. We take this incredibly seriously.”A June 3 report by the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians identified “a few” unnamed parliamentarians who had suspicious contacts with foreign officials.“Some may be illegal,” the report said.Cabinet has confirmed knowledge of the individuals identified in the report but declined to name them.“You will understand that discussing the details particularly of the most sensitive information is not something we want to do publicly,” then-Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc told reporters on June 6.
