Chinese government interference in the 2019 and 2021 Canadian federal elections

[3][4] In early 2023, The Globe and Mail newspaper published a series of articles reporting that the CSIS, in several classified documents, advised that China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) and United Front Work Department had employed disinformation campaigns and undisclosed donations to support preferred candidates during the 2021 Canadian federal election, with the aim of ensuring that the Liberals would win again, but only with a minority.

Following Johnston's resignation, Trudeau tasked Intergovernmental Affairs minister Dominic LeBlanc with negotiating with opposition parties to discuss the possibility of a public inquiry on the issue.

[8] In September 2023, Justin Trudeau commissioned Québec justice Marie-Josée Hogue to preside over the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions.

[10] According to former Canadian and U.S. intelligence officials, Chinese overseas operations in Canada have risen to the extent that they represent an alarming security threat to the United States, which has conducted a secret probe of the issue.

[11] These operations were said to consist of espionage, compromise of politicians and government officials, election interference, and control of individuals and companies with ties to China, such as via foreign police stations.

[3][4][12] By the time of the 2021 election, the Conservative Party had adopted a tough stance on China, which included a proposed withdrawal from the Beijing-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, a reduction in dependence on Chinese imports, and a ban on the use of Huawei network equipment.

Unconfirmed, anonymous sources for the report stated that gathered intelligence suggested that a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) proxy group mobilized around CA$250,000 to fund the infiltration network through a staffer for an election candidate and a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, who both acted as intermediaries.

[3] Recipients of the donations allegedly included at least 11 candidates and members of their campaign staff, 13 or more federal aides, an Ontario MPP, and unelected public officials according to a January 2022 Privy Council Office (PCO) "Special Report".

[20] In March 2023, Global News reported that Vincent Ke was the Ontario MPP alleged to have served as a financial intermediary for the Chinese consulate as part of election interference efforts.

[27] O'Toole's beliefs were supported by Conservative MP and foreign affairs critic Michael Chong, who stated that while the party was initially hesitant to blame China for influencing the vote due to inconclusive evidence at the time, he now believed, "The communist leadership in Beijing did interfere in the last federal election by spreading disinformation through proxies on Chinese-language social media platforms that contributed to the defeat of a number of Conservative MPs", citing a report by McGill University.

Similar views were shared by O'Toole's director of parliamentary affairs Mitch Heimpel, who said that Canadian national security officers had contacted the Conservatives around election day to express concerns about potential foreign interference.

[28][29] In February 2023, The Globe and Mail published a series of articles, reporting that CSIS, in several classified documents, advised that China had employed disinformation campaigns and undisclosed donations to support preferred candidates, all with the aim of ensuring that the Liberals would win again, but only with a minority.

[37] The same month, a report by Global Affairs Canada stated that Kenny Chiu was targeted by social media accounts controlled by the China News Service.

[3] According to classified CSIS reports reviewed by the Globe and Mail, China's former consul-general in Vancouver, Tong Xiaoling, boasted in 2021 about how she helped defeat two Conservative MPs.

[41] Previous Vancouver mayor Kennedy Stewart, who was critical of the Chinese government, would like to see Ottawa expand its inquiry into Beijing's interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections to municipal and provincial politics as well.

[43] On November 9, a request was made by a bipartisan group of Canadian MPs to convene an emergency meeting in order to discuss the interference allegations detailed in the Global News report.

[14] However, anonymous, unconfirmed sources who spoke to Global News described years of "interactive" dialogue between senior intelligence officials and Trudeau's office regarding China's incursions into Canadian elections.

[48] The Coordinator for Strategic Communications for the US National Security Council, John Kirby, said later in March that intelligence leaks and allegations of election interference had not damaged Canada's relationship with other Five Eyes partners, and that the investigations and Parliamentary reviews underway were the correct way to proceed.

[50] One of these individuals at the luncheon had reportedly urged O'Toole to resign after the 2021 election, citing the Conservative platform's central focus on challenging the Chinese government and its policies.

[53] Liberal members of the PROC continued a filibuster the following week, where they read newspaper articles into the record, talked about personal overseas travel and their university days, in order to prevent a vote on a motion to subpoena Telford.

[55] On March 20, Conservative MPs tabled a motion in the House of Commons to compel Telford to testify before the Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics concerning election interference.

[64] Broadhurst testified that CSIS officials had told him something about a Liberal candidate in 2019 and as a result, he briefed Trudeau the next day, but he declined to answer questions about the nature or details of the conversation, citing national security.

[74] The motion also called on the government to establish a public inquiry and a foreign agent registry, and to force the closure of Chinese police stations operating in Canada.

[56][67] Trudeau named former governor general David Johnston as independent special rapporteur the next day, tasking him with helping "protect the integrity of Canada's democracy".

[85][86] Rick Salutin at the Toronto Star, aspersed Johnston for not defending himself against Poilievre's imputations by raising his past work for Harper in framing the terms of that commission.

[102][107][108][109][110][111] Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet also rejected Johnston's report, calling its conclusions illegitimate and saying that the Prime Minister should not have chosen a friend as special rapporteur.

[112][113] Both the Toronto Star and Globe and Mail Editorial boards rejected Johnston's report, calling instead for a full independent public inquiry to reassure Canadians that their elections are "free and fair".

[114][115] Democracy Watch also rejected the report and filed a complaint with the federal ethics commissioner, saying that Johnston's appointment as special rapporteur violated the Conflict of Interest Act.

[137] In January and February 2024, two diaspora groups pulled out of the Foreign Interference Commission of Inquiry "due to standing being granted to individuals suspected to have strong ties to the Chinese consulates, and their proxies," principally, Han Dong, Michael Chan, and Yuen Pau Woo.

[1] The inquiry issued its preliminary report on May 3, 2024, finding that China was the main perpetrator (among several countries) of foreign interference in the elections, and described its operation as "persistent and sophisticated".