Poilievre rejects terms of CSIS foreign interference briefing

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre Rejects CSIS Briefing on Foreign Interference

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is standing firm in his decision to reject a briefing from Canada’s spy agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), regarding foreign interference. According to his office, the terms of the briefing would prevent him from effectively using the information provided.

In December, CSIS announced that it intended to share “some information to the leader of the Official Opposition through a threat reduction measure.” However, Poilievre’s spokesperson, Sebastian Skamski, stated that the Conservative leader would be legally restricted in how he could act on the information received.

Skamski explained that Poilievre would be prohibited from discussing the briefing with anyone other than legal counsel and would only be able to take action as authorized by the government. This limitation, according to Skamski, would render Poilievre unable to effectively utilize any relevant information disclosed in the briefing, contradicting the purpose of a threat reduction measure.

While other party leaders have urged Poilievre to obtain a security clearance to review classified documents on foreign interference, Poilievre has declined, expressing concerns that he would be constrained in his ability to freely criticize the government based on top-secret information. Instead, Poilievre stated that his chief of staff, Ian Todd, has received classified briefings.

In response to allegations made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in October, where he suggested the involvement of certain Conservative members in foreign interference, Poilievre challenged Trudeau to disclose the names of those individuals. Trudeau later mentioned that he had requested intelligence services to brief Poilievre on the allegations and possibly share “some names” with him.

Skamski clarified that the CSIS briefing would focus solely on foreign interference directed at Conservative politicians and would not address the specific issues raised by Trudeau. The intended briefing, as per the government’s advice, would not question the suitability of any current parliamentarian or candidate in the party.

The Prime Minister’s Office has been approached for comment but has not responded. Similarly, CSIS declined to comment on the terms of the briefing or Poilievre’s concerns, emphasizing that the briefing was designed to enhance security and address specific threats identified by CSIS.

In a related development, Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue, who heads the foreign interference inquiry, released her final report on Tuesday. The report concluded that while some concerning behavior was observed, there was no evidence of “traitors” in Parliament conspiring with hostile states against Canada’s interests. Hogue recommended that leaders of all political parties in the House of Commons should be encouraged to obtain top-secret security clearances promptly after assuming leadership roles.

The rejection of the CSIS briefing by Poilievre underscores the ongoing tensions surrounding foreign interference allegations and the challenges faced in addressing them effectively. The issue remains a significant concern for Canadian national security and political integrity.