Canada will be conducting multiple investigations into foreign election interference, the country’s prime minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on Monday evening, following allegations China interfered in Canada’s federal elections held in 2019 and 2021.
Trudeau said he has tasked Canada’s two intelligence review bodies, the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) and the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA), to investigate the issue.
NSICOP will launch a new review on foreign interference with a focus on elections and NSIRA will review how national security agencies in Canada handled the foreign interference threat during the 2019 and 2021 elections, Trudeau said.
Any attack, or attempted attack, on our democracy is unacceptable. So make no mistake: When it comes to defending our national security, we will always stand firm – and we will continue to strengthen our institutions and defend their integrity.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) March 7, 2023
The PM also said in the coming days an independent person would be appointed as a special rapporteur on election interference who “will have a wide mandate and make recommendations on combating inference and strengthening our democracy.”
The rapporteur could recommend a formal inquiry, Trudeau noted.
China reportedly denies all allegations of interference.
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