Watchdog can’t ‘add anything’ on finding that MPs assisted foreign states: McGuinty

By The Canadian Press on June 5, 2024.

OTTAWA – The chairman of a national security watchdog says the panel “cannot add anything” to its recent finding that some MPs wittingly assisted the efforts of foreign states to interfere in Canadian politics.

Liberal MP David McGuinty says the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians has gone as far as it possibly can in its report to outline the accusations.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said this week it is up to law enforcement to decide if any MPs broke the law.

The committee’s conclusions reverberate as Parliament studies a government bill that aims to better protect democratic institutions against foreign meddling.

The report says foreign states conduct sophisticated and pervasive foreign interference, specifically targeting Canada’s democratic processes before, during and after elections.

It says China and India are the most active perpetrators, adding these activities pose a significant threat to national security and the overall integrity of Canada’s democracy.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2024.

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