CSIS Trudeau Briefing Says More Gov’t ‘Willingness’ Needed to Tackle Foreign Interference

A sign for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service building in Ottawa, in a file photo. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

A briefing from Canada’s spy agency for the prime minister says that his government needed to change its views and find greater motivation to tackle the threat of foreign interference.

“Better protecting Canadian democratic institutions against FI [foreign interference] will require a shift in the Government’s perspective and a willingness to take decisive action and impose consequence on perpetrators,” says a briefing by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).

The document, dated Feb. 21, 2023, was introduced as evidence at the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference on April 8. The inquiry is currently in its second hearings phase with a focus on interference in the 2019 and 2021 elections.

The CSIS briefing to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was related to “foreign interference threats to Canada’s democratic institutions” and is classified “Top Secret/[redacted]/Limited/Canadian Eyes Only.”

The advice to increase efforts to counter foreign interference appears in the conclusion section of the briefing. CSIS also states that foreign interference in Canada is “low risk and high-reward.”

“State actors are able to conduct FI successfully in Canada because there are few legal or political consequences,” said the document.

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With regards to specific measures, the CSIS briefing says implementing a foreign agents registry would be “helpful,” but it should be part of a “wider toolkit.” Other recommendations were redacted.

The spy agency added that foreign interference must be tackled by all levels of government and “even those without investigative responsibilities” must take action against the threat.

“Until FI is viewed as an existential threat to Canadian democracy and governments forcefully and actively respond, these threats will persist,” CSIS said.

‘Do Not Agree’

National Security and Intelligence Advisor Nathalie Drouin was asked to comment on the conclusions of the CSIS briefing as she testified before the inquiry on April 9.

“I do not agree with that statement,” she said in reference to CSIS saying the government needs to do more to tackle foreign interference. “I don’t know if that statement was also shared at the time with the prime minister and his office.”

Ms. Drouin defended the government, saying the Liberals had taken many steps since 2016 to address the threat, such as setting up the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP). The committee, established for parliamentarians to review intelligence matters, answers to the prime minister and not the House of Commons. NSICOP has complained of low responsiveness from the government.

Ms. Drouin had also testified at the inquiry on April 8 in her capacity as a member of the Critical Election Incident Public Protocol, a body established by the Liberal government to warn the public about threats to the integrity of elections.

Ms. Drouin defended not issuing any warning despite being in receipt of foreign interference allegations, including surrounding Beijing providing funding to candidates.

The 2023 CSIS briefing to Mr. Trudeau mentioned that particular issue. It states plainly and in clear terms, without any words of uncertainty or couching about intelligence being incomplete or uncorroborated, that the Chinese regime meddled in the 2019 and 2021 elections.

“We know that the PRC [People’s Republic of China] clandestinely and deceptively interfered in both the 2019 and 2021 general elections,” wrote CSIS. The agency adds Beijing was being “pragmatic” with its interference activities, by supporting candidates “viewed to be either ‘pro-PRC’ or ‘neutral’ on issues of interest to the PRC government.”

A partially redacted paragraph says that “at least 11 candidates and 13 staff members, were implicated in PRC FI networks [redacted]. This included members of multiple political parties.” Other CSIS intelligence released at the inquiry indicates that seven candidates were Liberal and four were Conservative.

The CSIS briefing also mentions reporting suggesting that “on at least one occasion, the PRC [redacted] transferred approximately $250,000 [redacted].” A summary of the redacted information said the funds were transferred to the staff member of a 2019 federal election candidate and then to an Ontario MPP.

Briefings

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated in November 2022, before receiving the February 2023 CSIS briefing, that he had not been told about candidates receiving money from China.

“I can confirm, based on the news reports that a number of people have been remarking on for the past number of weeks, that I have never gotten any information from any of our security agencies, or police officers, or intelligence officials or public servants of a federal candidate receiving money from China, as the allegations highlighted,” Mr. Trudeau said in the House of Commons.

The 2023 CSIS briefing says that Mr. Trudeau was briefed by the agency on foreign interference in February 2021 and in October 2022. The specific content of the briefings was not disclosed.

The 2023 CSIS brief also mentions Beijing’s efforts to curtail the Conservative Party in 2021 due to its hardline stance against the Chinese regime.

It says having observed online and media efforts against then-Tory leader Erin O'Toole and Tory candidate Kenny Chiu, the factors surrounding these activities “all suggest that these efforts were orchestrated or directed by the PRC,” says the briefing.

Mr. Chiu lost his B.C. riding of Steveston-Richmond East to Liberal Parm Bains. Mr. O'Toole told the inquiry on April 3 he believes his party lost up to nine ridings due to Chinese interference.

Mr. Trudeau criticized Mr. O'Toole’s allegations after the testimony. “I can understand where someone who lost an election is trying to look for reasons other than themselves why they might have lost an election,” he said.

The first portion of the CSIS briefing to Mr. Trudeau addresses the national security leaks that have appeared in the media since November 2022. Most of the information is redacted, except information indicating CSIS is taking the leaks “extremely seriously” and is investigating the issue with other departments.

If not for those leaks in the media, the pressure likely would not have built enough to call the government to hold a public inquiry into Chinese meddling.

The RCMP told The Epoch Times last week that an investigation remains ongoing into the leaks.

The second phase of public hearings for the commission will conclude on April 10 with testimony from Mr. Trudeau and several ministers. The inquiry must file an interim report by May 3.