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Canada’s Foreign Interference Inquiry Finds Troubling Conduct but No Treason

Justice Hogue’s report highlights disinformation as a major threat to democracy and outlines 51 recommendations to protect Canadian institutions.

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Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, walks past India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi as they take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at Raj Ghat, Mahatma Gandhi's cremation site, during the G20 Summit in New Delhi. (AP File)
Commissioner Justice Marie-Josee Hogue speaks about the interim report following its release at the Public Inquiry Into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions, in Ottawa, Friday, May 3, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Overview

  • The inquiry found no evidence that current or former parliamentarians committed treason or knowingly acted as agents of foreign states, though some showed poor judgment in their dealings with foreign officials.
  • Six major instances of foreign interference since 2018 were identified, including actions by China, India, Pakistan, and other unnamed states targeting Canadian elections and political processes.
  • The report criticized the federal government for delays and failures in sharing intelligence with affected parliamentarians, including a five-year delay in delivering security briefings.
  • Justice Hogue emphasized the existential threat posed by disinformation campaigns and recommended creating a national agency to monitor misinformation affecting democracy.
  • Among the 51 recommendations were measures to tighten election rules, improve public education on interference, and establish a 'duty to warn' policy for credible threats to parliamentarians.