New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh addresses a news conference on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, Tuesday, April 25, 2023. Singh is calling on the federal government to remove David Johnston as the special rapporteur on foreign interference amidst continued demands from opposition benches to hold a public inquiry into other nations meddling in Canadian elections. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
OTTAWA – Conservative MP Erin O’Toole says Canada’s spy agency has told him he was the target of Chinese interference intended to to discredit him and promote false narratives about his policies while party leader.
Rising in the House of Commons on a question of privilege today, O’Toole says the Canadian Security Intelligence Service briefing revealed a range of actions against him.
He says they included Chinese Communist Party funding to create misinformation, the use of groups and the WeChat social media platform to amplify the mistruths, and a campaign of voter suppression against him during the 2021 general election.
The former Conservative leader says neither the federal government nor security agencies flagged the threats against him and members of his caucus at the time.
He says they were also not communicated to the Conservatives through the federal task force intended to help safeguard the integrity of the 2021 election.
O’Toole says the Liberal government’s inaction amounted to a violation of his privileges as an MP and leader of the Opposition.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2023.
