ottawa –
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said foreign interference did not play a role in the Conservative Party’s last leadership election, which was led by Pierre Poièvre.
Mr Brown, who was a leadership candidate at the time, was asked to answer questions about the 2022 campaign after a National Security Committee report cited unspecified Indian interference in the Conservative Party leadership election. Called before a House committee.
“I do not believe that foreign interference influenced the final outcome of the Conservative leadership election,” Brown told a House of Commons committee on Thursday.
Brown said he believes it’s important to prevent foreign interference, but doesn’t want to get drawn into a partisan debate on Capitol Hill.
Brown posted on social media Monday about the committee’s summons, saying there was no new evidence to add and that a public inquiry into foreign interference was the appropriate forum to evaluate the allegations.
He said Thursday that Indian government officials did not contact him or his campaign workers during his leadership bid.
Mr Brown was not included as a witness in the public inquiry, which was due to conclude early this fall with a final report due in the new year.
Brown was disqualified from the 2022 leadership race due to allegations related to Canada Elections Act funding rules.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024.
