Foreign minister informed of ‘very negative’ media coverage of government’s handling of foreign interference
A briefing note to Secretary of State Mélanie Joly said media reports of Beijing’s interference in Canada’s federal election have taken a very negative tone to Ottawa’s approach to the issue, with many urging the government to take concrete action. to take action.
“The tone was very negative,” said the briefing titled “Media Analysis – Allegations of Chinese InterferenceFirst reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.
“All articles urged the government to be proactive and take China’s alleged interference in the 2019 election seriously,” it said.
“In general, article angles have been split between criticizing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau versus exploring how this meddling infiltrated the Canadian political system, and what concrete solutions might be.”
The briefing note, dated December 13, 2022came about a month later a Global News reportciting Canadian intelligence officials, said Beijing provided illegal funding to a network of 11 candidates in the 2019 federal election as part of its extensive campaign of foreign interference targeting Canada.
A series of reports published this year by the Globe and Mail also revealed that Beijing considers Canada to be a “high priority target” for foreign interference, and had orchestrated a plan to interfere in the 2021 election.
‘frustration’
The briefing note says that news articles and commentaries have “expressed frustration” at the lack of details released to the public about the alleged election interference. There was also “confusion over the timeline of events regarding when the prime minister received what information and how it was presented,” the briefing said.
According to the intelligence sources cited in the Global News report, Trudeau and several cabinet members were briefed by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service on the 11 candidates in January 2022. Trudeau denied being briefed on the matter, but the Prime Minister’s Office said he raised the issue of election interference with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during their participation in the G-20 summit in Indonesia last November.
“Comments increasingly called for Trudeau to be honest with Canadians and to disclose information about which candidates were targeted by Chinese interference,” the briefing note said. “Others expressed confusion and doubts about the Prime Minister’s claim that he had not been informed about candidates receiving money from China and, in that case, questioned what he had discussed with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20.”
Faced with increasing calls for a public inquiry to investigate foreign interference, Trudeau appointed former Governor General David Johnston as a special rapporteur to investigate whether the government should do so. In his first report, published in May, Johnston argued against a public inquiry – a decision that drew strong criticism from critics and opposition parties. Johnston stepped down as special rapporteur this month and the government has since said it is more open to holding a public inquiry.
