Former Conservative leadership candidate Patrick Brown to appear at committee probing foreign interference

Former Conservative leadership candidate Patrick Brown has announced that he will be appearing before the House of Commons standing committee on public safety and national security to address allegations of foreign interference. The committee is investigating claims that agents of the Government of India have been involved in electoral interference and criminal activities in Canada. Brown, who is currently serving as the mayor of Brampton, Ont., had previously declined invitations to testify before the committee but has now agreed to do so.

In a statement posted on social media, Brown expressed his concerns about the motives behind the committee’s request for his appearance. He questioned the usefulness of his testimony and suggested that the public inquiry into foreign interference led by Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue would have been a more appropriate venue for his testimony. Brown also emphasized that he has no new evidence to contribute to the committee’s proceedings and does not believe that foreign interference impacted the results of the 2022 Conservative Party leadership race.

The allegations of foreign interference in the Conservative Party leadership race were first reported by Radio-Canada, which cited sources claiming that agents of the Indian government attempted to undermine Brown’s campaign. However, the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) stated in a report that the Conservative Party was not informed of any intelligence suggesting foreign interference during the leadership contest. Conservative Party officials, including current leader Pierre Poilievre, have denied any knowledge of such actions by Indian government representatives.

Brown’s disqualification from the Conservative Party in 2022 was linked to allegations of election financing misconduct. He accused the party establishment of trying to ensure Poilievre’s victory in the leadership race. Sources also revealed that Brown’s national campaign co-chair, Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner, was allegedly pressured to withdraw her support for Brown. Rempel Garner denied these allegations and stated that she left Brown’s campaign voluntarily.

Poilievre, who won the Conservative Party leadership race in 2022, has refused to obtain a security clearance to view the unredacted NSICOP report. He argues that this would impede his ability to criticize the government’s handling of foreign interference issues. Conservative Party spokesperson Sebastian Skamski reiterated this stance, emphasizing that Poilievre should not be restricted in his ability to address national security concerns.

Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc has urged Poilievre to obtain his security clearance and engage with the information provided by CSIS on foreign interference. He expressed confidence in CSIS’s ability to detect and disrupt foreign interference activities and suggested that Poilievre’s access to this information would be beneficial in addressing national security threats.