11 hours ago
Last Updated:January 14, 2025, 22:32 IST
Top intelligence sources said foreign interference in Canada's elections has always been a concern, highlighting China's alleged involvement in the 2019 and 2021 polls
The Liberal Party will vote on March 9 to choose its next leader and, by extension, Canada's next PM following Justin Trudeau’s decision to step down. (Image: Reuters/File)
Canadian intelligence agencies will be keeping an eye on Liberal Party leadership race after allegations of “foreign interference" by political rivals.
The Liberal Party will vote on March 9 to choose its next leader and, by extension, Canada’s next Prime Minister following Justin Trudeau’s decision to step down.
An elections intelligence task force of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) will be monitoring the vote for signs of foreign interference.
According to sources, the Liberal Party, despite the Foreign Interference Commission, is yet to submit reports and wants permanent residency (PR) holders to vote for them. These voters are conveniently brought in to elect leaders of political parties, they said. By bringing them, the Liberal Party is trying to sabotage democratic processes by involving those who have no interest in Canada, they added.
Earlier, CSIS director Vanessa Lloyd testified before the foreign interference inquiry and said Pakistan conducts intelligence operations and transnational repression in Canada with the goal of supporting the pro-Khalistan movement.
Top intelligence sources said foreign interference in Canada’s elections has always been a concern. China’s involvement was quite visible in the 2019 and 2021 polls, they said.
They said China’s tactics included disinformation campaigns and donations to support preferred candidates. The Chinese directed international students to work for specific candidates, as the goal was to ensure the Liberal Party’s victory, but only with a minority government, they added.
The sources further said Liberal Party MP Han Dong was accused of being part of a Chinese foreign interference network, but later confessed to using Chinese students in Canada to work for him. An Ontario MP, Vincent Ke was accused of serving as a financial intermediary for the Chinese consulate but he denied these allegations and resigned from his role as parliamentary secretary, they said.
They said there were concerns that the Conservative Party had softened its stance on China since the 2021 election, potentially due to foreign interference. Similarly, a large number of candidates backed by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) will attempt to influence the elections and, due to this support, the Prime Minister will make undue statements against India, they added.
Canadian political parties have a faulty leadership selection system and have brought in all kinds of wrong practices, the sources said.
Location :Ottawa, Canada
First Published:January 14, 2025, 22:21 IST
News world Canada's Intelligence To Monitor Liberal Party Leadership Race For Signs Of 'Foreign Interference'
