Chief Electoral Officer Asked by MPs About Reports of China Funding at Least 11 Candidates

Chief Electoral Officer Stephane Perrault speaks at a press conference about Elections Canada's recommendations report from the 43rd and 44th general elections in Ottawa on June 7, 2022. (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press)

Canada’s chief electoral officer says he did not receive any reports of Beijing interfering with the 2019 federal election when asked by MPs during his testimony before the Commons House Affairs committee (PROC) on Nov. 22.

“I’ve not received any reports regarding specific instances of noncompliance with the legislation or specific instances of Chinese interference in the election,” Stéphane Perrault told the committee.

Perrault was responding to Conservative MP Michael Cooper who asked if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and any cabinet ministers had reported to Elections Canada on the issue.

Allegations of China interfering in the 2019 election, which included funding of a clandestine network of at least 11 candidates, arose after a Global News report published Nov. 7 said that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) had warned Trudeau and several cabinet ministers in a series of briefings and memos in January of the matter.

“What would it take for someone like you who was in charge of the electoral process in Canada to come to the conclusion that the electoral process has been affected by foreign interference?” Conservative MP Luc Berthold asked.

“It takes more than an article in the press,” Perrault replied. “With all due respect I have for journalists, but I will not simply rely on an article in a newspaper.”

Perrault, who was appointed as chief in June 2018, said the report “doesn’t really say that the money went to the campaigns of candidates.”

“We pretend that the article says that, but we don’t know where the money went and what ends it served,” he said. “So we are here talking about attempts of corruption—trying to purchase influence, if you will—not necessarily trying to influence the elections.”

‘Have No Information’

PROC started its study of foreign election interference on Nov. 1 and has since heard testimonies from officials of Canada’s Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections Task Force, which consists of CSIS, Global Affairs, RCMP, and Communications Security Establishment (CSE).

Lyall King, a director with the CSE, testified on Nov. 3 that foreign threats to Canada’s electoral processes extend beyond the election period.

“I will just note that there were activities observed … during the election,” King said. “But I will note in context as well it’s activity also that we see on a persistent basis. That is to say that we observe things before, during, [and] after the election.”

On Nov. 20, Trudeau told reporters in Djerba, Tunisia, that he was never briefed about “any federal candidates receiving any money from China.”

“These media reports are things that we took seriously and we asked our security officials to follow up on them,” he said at a press conference.

“Let me be very clear: I have no information and I get briefed up regularly from our intelligence and security officials. I have no information on any federal candidates receiving money from China.”

‘Advance Beijing’s Political Agenda’

In response to Trudeau’s comments, Sam Cooper, author of the Global News report, took to Twitter in a series of tweets the same day, saying that “sources with knowledge of the sensitive memos said the Prime Minister was briefed along with some cabinet members.”

“The 2022 intelligence briefs, again, said the PRC [People’s Republic of China] consulate earmarked a significant sum which was transferred to an unidentified federal campaign staffer, who then sent the sum to an unnamed Ontario MPP.”

Cooper added that separate sources with knowledge of the 2022 briefs said about $250,000 was transferred to the campaign staffer and the MPP through an intermediary for the PRC consulate, and the MPP then disbursed the sum to other members of the network, which included the 11 unidentified candidates and 13 campaign staff, according to intelligence memos.

“Some, but not all, of those at least 11 candidates and staffers were witting affiliates of the Chinese Communist Party, the intelligence memos alleged, according to information obtained by Global News,” he said.

“The alleged scheme was all done to advance Beijing’s political agenda, intelligence memos said.”

Peter Wilson contributed to this report.