Intelligence Expert Recommends Independent Body With Arrest Powers to Tackle Foreign Interference

Former Chief of the Asia-Pacific Unit, Canadian Security Intelligence Service Michel Juneau-Katsuya waits with former Member of Parliament Kenny Chiu to appear before the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics about foreign interference in Ottawa on March 31, 2023. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

An intelligence expert with hands-on experience in countering threats from hostile state actors told MPs Canada doesn’t need a public inquiry into foreign interference, but rather needs a new completely independent body with powers to arrest and prosecute those involved.

Michel Juneau-Katsuya, a former manager with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), suggested the idea during a meeting of the House of Commons ethics committee on March 31.