The prime minister’s national security adviser said Wednesday that while some MPs may have shown poor judgment or acted unwisely in an inquiry into foreign interference, there is one member who betrayed Canada. He said there was no one.
Nathalie Drouhin told the inquiry she was displeased by the Canadian National Security and Intelligence Parliamentary Committee’s (NSICOP) special report on foreign interference, released in June. The committee’s report found that some members of Congress (which it did not name) knowingly or unknowingly participated in foreign interference.
“That’s not what I see,” she told the Inquiry on Wednesday. “As I said, I’ve seen inappropriate behavior and lack of judgment. I’ve seen people who I probably wouldn’t have much confidence in, but I’ve seen people in Congress commit espionage and sabotage. “I’ve never seen a member of parliament who does that or really interferes with politics.”Canada’s security is at risk.
“I have a lot of confidence in our current members of Parliament, and my other impression is that foreign countries are trying to diminish the confidence that Canadians have in our democratic system. We’re trying to give them equipment.”
Drouin said this information showed the complacency of some people who had connections they shouldn’t have, and that some people were bragging about being able to share information they didn’t have. He said it was suggested.
“The information used by NSICOP does not allow us to conclude that there are traitors in Congress,” she said.
In response to questions from Judge Marie-Josée Hogue, who is leading the investigation, Mr Drouin said he had access to the same information the commission had and subsequent updates.
Drouin praised NSICOP’s efforts, but said the report focused on members of Congress but should focus on foreign actors.
The investigation was established following media reports accusing China of interfering in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
In his first report, released in May, Hogue concluded that while there may have been foreign interference in a small number of ridings, it did not affect the overall election outcome.
More details later…
