Panel Considered Public Warning About Interference in 2021 Election, Inquiry Hears

Panel Considered Public Warning About Interference in 2021 Election, Inquiry Hears
A person enters the Public Inquiry Into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions as it begins hearings in Ottawa, on Jan. 29, 2024. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld
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A panel of top bureaucrats considered warning the public about possible foreign interference in the last general election, but ultimately decided against it, a senior official testified at a federal inquiry on April 5.

That decision was made, in part, because a potential misinformation campaign was likely only to reach the Chinese diaspora, said Allen Sutherland, who works in the Privy Council Office as an assistant secretary to the cabinet.