Last two elections were free and fair, Trudeau tells foreign interference inquiry
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed frustration to a federal inquiry into foreign interference that intelligence leaked to the media had been “sensationalized” and taken out of context.
In his view, the last two general elections were free and fair.
In a classified interview with the commission of inquiry in February, Trudeau said leaks suggesting otherwise were extremely damaging to Canadians’ confidence in the democratic process.
A public summary of the interview was disclosed Wednesday at the inquiry, where Trudeau testified at an open hearing. The summary said Trudeau observed that the leaks were “particularly frustrating” because the Liberal government had put in place robust mechanisms to detect and combat interference, yet it was “painted as negligent in the media.”
“PM Trudeau also considered that the leaks illustrate the dangers of drawing conclusions based on a single piece of intelligence, without sufficient context, and without any analysis of its reliability.”
Allegations of foreign interference in the last two general elections — suggestions fuelled by anonymous leaks to the media — led to a chorus of calls for the public inquiry.
During the hearing on Wednesday, Trudeau spoke of the “explosive nature of the media stories, stemming from unsubstantiated and uncorroborated intelligence shared by a leaker. There are also things that were flat-out wrong.”
The hearings are part of the inquiry’s effort to examine possible foreign interference by China, India, Russia and others in the last two general elections.
Trudeau said Canadians can have confidence in the conclusions of national security officials and top bureaucrats that the 2019 and 2021 general elections were “free and fair.”
He said the leaks to media were of “deep concern” because the government could not correct the record, in some cases, without revealing the tradecraft Canadian security agencies use to keep citizens and their institutions safe.
“If we say certain things, or if we contradict or deny other things, we could be giving our adversaries tools to actually understand how we go about detecting their interference.”
One of the leaks involved allegations against MP Han Dong, who left the Liberal caucus last year after a media report suggested he told a Chinese consular official to delay the release of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor in 2021.
Dong denied the allegation, which the prime minister only learned about in the media.
On Wednesday, Trudeau said categorically he believes the allegation is untrue, but couldn’t elaborate as to why, citing a need for confidentiality and national security concerns.
“There have been significant questions around both translation and summary of the actual exchange,” he said.
Trudeau’s appearance followed several days of testimony from members of his cabinet, political party representatives, senior bureaucrats and intelligence officials.
At the hearing, the prime minister listed measures his government had taken to address foreign interference since assuming power in 2015.
Under a protocol ushered in by the Liberals, 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 while the Conservatives formed the official Opposition.
The inquiry has already heard that China and other state actors attempted to interfere, but there has been little evidence so far to indicate whether or not they were successful.
The former minister of democratic institutions said she was told after the October 2019 federal election that Canada’s spy agency had seen low-level foreign interference activities by China.
Karina Gould, who held the portfolio from early 2017 to November 2019, said in a classified interview last month that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service indicated the activities were similar to what had been seen in the past.
“That foreign interference did not affect Canadians’ ability to have a free and fair election,” said a public summary of Gould’s interview.
Gould, now government House leader in the Commons, is on parental leave. As democratic institutions minister, she oversaw design of the protocol for making a public announcement about electoral meddling.