A public inquiry is needed to determine whether there was Chinese interference in Canada’s elections, said former Canadian Security Intelligence Agency (CSIS) and national security and intelligence adviser to Prime Minister Richard Faden. says there is.
“In this case, the allegations are very serious and should be investigated.” Faden said In an interview with global news program The West Block on Feb. 26.
“I think a public inquiry is really the way to go,” he said, adding that Inquiry method And before the next election, it should be empowered to summon people and documents.
“I think we need to have a serious discussion about this issue first. Given the general environment in Canada, I don’t think it’s going to work without a public inquiry,” Faden said.
He also sought foreign agent registration.
“I think registration is required and it needs to be made clear that political parties have a responsibility to ensure compliance with Canadian election law,” he said.
Fadden suggested that it was “dangerous” for the government to try to regulate things too directly for partisan activity and that changes should be enacted.
“If there is a law, the electoral law could be amended to make it very clear that political parties are obligated to do a, b, c, d about receiving money and being accountable for it, and more resources could be allocated to mayors. Election officials,” he said.
‘It’s no small matter.”
Jean-Pierre Kingsley, who served as Canada’s electoral commissioner from 1990 to 2017, has also called for an official inquiry.
“We need to find out what happened. I support an independent inquiry because this is to the satisfaction of Canadians. It’s no small matter,” he said. globe and mail February 23rd.
Kingsley said news of recent CSIS leaks documenting Beijing’s alleged interference in the 2021 federal elections suggests that the administration backed its backed candidates in the last two elections.
“The reason this is important is because the government’s legitimacy is at stake,” he said. “We have to trust that the election process has not been tampered with by a foreign government.”
On February 21, the Parliamentary and House Committee, based on a Globe report, said that Tong Xiaoling, the former Chinese consul general in Vancouver, would beat two Conservative MPs running for the 2021 election. I heard allegations that he boasted that he contributed to It is reportedly described as a “vocal distraction.”
Committee heard China’s former consul general, Wang Jin, is also said to have been involved in efforts to garner support for the Liberal Party and lead Conservative candidates to defeat the election.
global news reported that three weeks before the 2019 election, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s aides were warned at a classified CSIS briefing that an election candidate was part of China’s foreign interference network. It was also alleged that the Ontario Liberal Minister was working for China.
Isaac Teo contributed to this report.