O’Toole and MPs Accusing Chinese Interference to Testify at Inquiry Today
Erin O’Toole, former Conservative leader, is scheduled to give testimony on the morning of March 3 at a federal inquiry on foreign interference, along with three other politicians who have claimed they were targeted by China.
O’Toole revealed last spring that Canada’s spy agency had informed him of Chinese interference aimed at promoting false narratives about his policies and discrediting him during the 2019 election.
The Conservative party alleges that security officials did not inform them about these concerns, which O’Toole blames for the loss of several seats. However, a government rapporteur found little evidence to support this claim.
In the afternoon of March 3, Kenny Chiu, former Conservative MP, is expected to testify, followed by NDP MP Jenny Kwan and Conservative foreign-affairs critic Michael Chong. All three believe they were targeted by China for advocating human rights.
Last May, Ottawa expelled a Chinese diplomat after Canada’s spy agency accused Zhao Wei of being involved in a plot to intimidate Chong’s relatives in Hong Kong.
Kwan revealed that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service informed her of being targeted by China during the 2019 election for her advocacy on human rights issues in Hong Kong and for the Uyghur Muslim minority in China.
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Chiu claims that Chinese authorities worked against him in the 2021 federal election after he proposed a foreign-agent registry. Special rapporteur David Johnston acknowledged that Chiu had irritated Chinese diplomats and there was online misinformation about the registry during the election, but he could not definitively link it to Beijing.
China vehemently denies all allegations of meddling in Canadian democracy.
The ongoing hearings are part of the inquiry’s investigation into potential foreign interference by countries like China, India, and Russia in the past two general elections.
Under the leadership of Quebec judge Marie-Josée Hogue, the commission of inquiry plans to hear from over 40 individuals, including community members, political party representatives, and federal election officials.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, members of his cabinet, and other senior government officials are also expected to testify during the hearings, which are scheduled to wrap up on April 10.
An initial report with findings from the inquiry is scheduled for May 3.
The inquiry will then transition to broader policy issues, examining the government’s capabilities in detecting, deterring, and countering foreign interference. A final report is anticipated by the end of the year.
