Elections Chief Says No Capacity to Oversee Party Nominations Amid Foreign Interference Concerns

Elections Canada Chief Electoral Officer Stephane Perrault responds to questions from counsel as he appears at the Public Inquiry Into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions, on March 28, 2024 in Ottawa. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

The chief of Elections Canada says he does not have the resources to oversee party nominations, which have been flagged as vulnerable to foreign interference, and that doing so would impede on political freedom.

Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault, who testified at the Foreign Interference Commission on Sept. 24, said there were around 1,500 nomination contests in the last two elections to determine party candidates.