Former top Canadian federal officials have revealed that the intelligence community was more concerned about Russia than China’s interference in Canadian affairs before the 2019 election. Daniel Jean, who served as national security adviser from May 2016 until May 2018, testified before a parliamentary committee, saying that he had numerous conversations with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about Beijing’s interference in Canadian affairs, but Russia was a more significant concern at the time.
Michael Wernick, former clerk of the Privy Council, also appeared before the committee and stated that he did not recall any conversations about Beijing’s interference during his time as the country’s top public servant from 2016 to 2019. “At the time, the main preoccupation was Russia,” Wernick said, adding that “most of the attention was on Russia at the time.”
The committee is currently investigating the extent of Chinese government’s attempts to meddle in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections following recent news reports. The Globe and Mail published reports alleging that Beijing attempted to ensure the Liberals won a minority government in the last general election and worked to defeat Conservative candidates critical of China. Meanwhile, Global News reported that intelligence officials informed Trudeau that China’s consulate in Toronto had offered cash to at least 11 federal election candidates and numerous Beijing operatives who worked as campaign staffers in 2019.
Jean, who is permanently bound to secrecy due to his former clearance level, said he couldn’t comment on classified briefings but confirmed that during his period as national security adviser, they briefed the prime minister on foreign interference, including China and others.
Wernick, on the other hand, does not remember any information about Beijing officials actively trying to interfere in Canada’s democratic processes. “Not that I recall,” he said under questioning.
The former top federal officials said no subjects were off-limits when they briefed the prime minister. They suggested that it may be time to update the laws enabling Canada’s spy agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, to better respond to foreign interference. Wernick also recommended that MPs move to introduce legislation similar to one before the U.K. Parliament that would create a new offence of foreign interference.
Meanwhile, the chair of one of the intelligence review bodies investigating foreign election interference, Liberal MP David McGuinty, has called for the federal government to pay more attention to the work of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP). Last month, Trudeau asked NSICOP to review the issue of foreign interference, particularly election meddling.