China meddling ‘did not affect’ election

But interference from abroad undermined public confidence in Canadian democracy, report finds

Foreign interference by China did not affect the overall results of the 2019 and 2021 general elections won by Justin Trudeau’s Liberals, a commission of inquiry has found.

In an interim report Friday, commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue said while it is possible that outcomes in a small number of ridings were affected by meddling, this cannot be said with certainty.

Hogue, who heard extensive testimony and reviewed secret documents, found that interference by Beijing or others did not undermine the integrity of Canada’s electoral system during the two national votes.

However, she concluded that interference from abroad undermined public confidence in democracy. “This is perhaps the greatest harm Canada has suffered as a result of foreign interference.”

The inquiry recently wrapped up 10 days of public hearings into suggestions of interference by China, India, Russia and others in the last two general elections.

“I learned foreign interference is an ever-present reality not just in Canada, but around the world. I also learned that the government takes measures to try and respond to it, whether or not an election is underway,” Hogue wrote.

“In this way, foreign interference is like crime. It is always present. Its methods evolve. While government has ways to address it, it is likely impossible to eradicate. That said, it must be discouraged, and its effects must be mitigated.”

Under a federal protocol ushered in by the Liberals in 2019, there would be a public announcement if a panel of bureaucrats determined that an incident — or an accumulation of incidents — threatened Canada’s ability to have a free and fair election.

There was no such announcement concerning either the 2019 or 2021 general elections. In both ballots, the Liberals were returned to government with minority mandates.

Hogue said she cannot exclude the possibility that the outcome in some individual ridings could have been affected by foreign interference. “However, in my view, the number of ridings at issue is relatively small, and the ultimate effects of foreign interference remain uncertain.”

Hogue singled out two examples that came up repeatedly during the public hearings.

She scrutinized the 2019 Liberal nomination race in the Toronto riding of Don Valley North where Han Dong won the candidacy.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service flagged a potential plot involving a busload of Chinese international students with falsified documents, but Hogue said there wasn’t enough evidence to inform any conclusions about what actually happened.

She also pointed to the 2021 results in British Columbia’s Steveston-Richmond East, finding a “reasonable possibility” a potential Chinese interference campaign against Conservative candidate Kenny Chiu cost him the seat.

Overall, Hogue concluded that foreign interference “likely impacted some votes” in the 2019 and 2021 general elections, and more broadly undermined the right of voters to have an electoral ecosystem free from coercion or covert influence.

The inquiry recently wrapped up 10 days of public hearings into suggestions of interference by China, India, Russia and others in the last two general elections