The body responsible for investigating potential breaches to the Canada Elections Act is conducting a probe around several allegations of Chinese interference in the 2019 elections, including the nomination of Han Dong for the Liberal Party.
The information was provided by Commissioner of Canada Elections Caroline Simard as she appeared before the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference on March 28.
Ms. Simard said she had launched the review in March 2023 of her own initiative.
“I cannot share more information,” she said. “It’s already quite extraordinary to share this kind of information,” the commissioner added, noting there are concerns around the presumption of innocence, privacy, and investigative techniques.
Ms. Simard also said that her office operates in a “very particular” and “very partisan” environment. “The last thing we want is to be used, to be instrumented, to fuel this partisanship,” she said.
A document from the Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections (OCCE) summarizing the probe was presented at the inquiry. The allegations being investigated are derived from Global News reporting.
One allegation pertains to the Chinese consulate having transferred around $250,000 to an elected official, through a Toronto-based businessman and a pro-Beijing community group, to help a federal candidate in the 2019 election.
“These funds went to an elected provincial government official via a staff member, to aid a federal candidate for the 2019 contest,” says the document listing the allegations.
Nomination Process
Another allegation being probed by the OCCE relates to Global News having identified MP Han Dong as the “federal candidate that would allegedly have received support from the Chinese Consulate in the 2019 nomination process.”The potential contraventions of the Elections Act being examined by the commissioner relate to political contributions by non-citizens or non-permanent residents, and concealing the source of a contribution.
Mr. Dong has denied the allegations of Chinese meddling in his nomination process. “I’ve never been offered nor would I accept help from a foreign country or representative from a foreign country,” he said in March 2023 after leaving the Liberal caucus.
“What has been reported is false and I will defend myself against these absolutely untrue claims,” said Mr. Dong in the House of Commons on March 22, 2023. He has subsequently sued Global for defamation.
Mr. Dong has full standing at the inquiry and is set to testify on April 2. He has not responded to repeated requests by Epoch Times for comment.
The public inquiry started its second phase of hearings this week, focusing on interference in the 2019 and 2021 elections.
Party representatives and senior officials, including Mr. Trudeau, will testify in the coming days.
‘No Action Could Be Taken’
Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault testified before the inquiry earlier that day and said he had been warned by CSIS about the 2019 Liberal nomination contest in Don Valley North.“Mr. Perrault explained that, during the 2019 federal election, he discussed with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (‘CSIS’) allegations of irregularities related to voting in the nomination contest in the riding of Don Valley North, Ontario,” reads an initial summary of Mr. Perrault’s interview with the commission.
When asked by commission counsel if his summary was accurate, Mr. Perrault asked to replace “allegations of irregularities” by a “fact situation which could involve foreign interference.” He also said he had not discussed the issue with CSIS but was instead provided the information in an unsolicited manner.
Mr. Perrault explained he made the change because irregularities connotes a violation of the rules under the act. “My corrected version does not necessarily have that connotation,” he said.
The interview summary also states that “no action could be taken” with regards to the fact situation in Don Valley North, since nomination contests are run by parties and fall outside the Elections Act.
