Trudeau says it's his job to question CSIS intelligence, call out 'contradictions'

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday he feels it's part of his job to question and call out what he referred to as "contra‐ dictions" in intelligence prepared for the federal government.

His comments Thursday followed his closely-watched testimony at the public in‐ quiry into foreign election in‐ terference the day before, which is trying to work out what the government knew about claims that China and other countries meddled in the past two federal elec‐ tions.

During his testimony Wednesday, Trudeau dis‐ puted intelligence gathered by the Canadian Security In‐ telligence Service (CSIS), one of the pillars of Canada's na‐ tional security infrastructure.

"You have to take this in‐ telligence, you have to take this information with a cer‐ tain awareness that it still needs to be confirmed or it might not be 100 per cent ac‐ curate," Trudeau said.

During a media availabil‐ ity Thursday, Trudeau was asked by a reporter whether Canadians should trust CSIS given his remarks.

The prime minister said he respects the Canadians who work in national secu‐ rity.

"But no government, no leader, should simply be a passive receiver of informa‐ tion and intelligence," he said.

"We have a role to play in asking questions, on thinking critically ... encouraging fur‐ ther work on questioning sources and pulling out con‐ tradictions. That actually is part and parcel of the work that we all need to do to make sure that everything is done to keep Canadians safe."

Trudeau says he didn't receive dire CSIS warn‐ ing in 2023

Trudeau said he listens "very closely, very carefully to everything" CSIS tells him but the information that reaches his ears has been called into question at the in‐ quiry.

Commissioner MarieJosée Hogue and members of her team have been por‐ ing over a series of documen‐ ts, including one that showed CSIS believes the Chinese government "clandestinely and deceptively" interfered in both the 2019 and 2021 fed‐ eral elections.

The warning was con‐ tained in a document pre‐ pared for a February 2023 briefing with the Prime Minis‐ ter's Office.

It also said China's inter‐ ference was "pragmatic in nature and focused primarily in supporting those viewed to be either 'pro PRC' or 'neu‐ tral' on issues of interest to the PRC government."

Trudeau said he was not briefed on intelligence re‐ garding the PRC's alleged preference for a Liberal gov‐ ernment ahead of the 2021 election.

Earlier this week, Trudeau's deputy chief of staff Brian Clow told the in‐ quiry the information in the briefing was not shared with the inner circle.

The CSIS document warns that protecting Canadian de‐ mocratic institutions against foreign interference "will re‐ quire a shift in the govern‐ ment's perspective and a will‐ ingness to take decisive ac‐ tion and impose conse‐ quences on perpetrators." It said foreign interference will persist until it "is viewed as an existential threat to Cana‐ dian democracy and govern‐ ments forcefully and actively respond."

Trudeau also testified Wednesday that he rarely reads intelligence documents and relies on oral briefings, either from his national secu‐ rity and intelligence adviser or from CSIS director David Vigneault.

WATCH | Trudeau is asked about his level of confidence in CSIS intelli‐ gence

"The only way to guaran‐ tee, to make sure, that I re‐ ceive the necessary informa‐ tion is to give me an in-per‐ son briefing, or over a secure line if necessary, on any issue or priority issue," he said.

Trudeau's main political ri‐ val took aim at that state‐ ment before a friendly crowd at the annual Canada Strong and Free Network conference in Ottawa on Thursday.

"His defence speaks for it‐ self," said Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. "The prime minister is asked why he didn't do anything about this interference, even though he was warned in briefing notes, [and his de‐ fence] is that he doesn't read briefing notes.

"We often don't believe the things this guys says, but I think most Canadians would believe that. I think it's plausible Justin Trudeau doesn't read things that come before him. In fact, I think it's likely."

Vigneault, who testified last week, has been recalled by the inquiry at the request of some of the participants' lawyers to answer further questions about whether he never relayed that informa‐ tion to the prime minister.

He'll reappear Friday morning.