The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) explicitly warned Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office on February 21, 2023 of illegal conduct by Chinese agents. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) posed an “existential threat to Canadian democracy,” the Commission on Foreign Interference disclosed Tuesday, per Blacklock’s Reporter. Trudeau, who is scheduled to testify at the China Inquiry Wednesday, had denied he was ever told foreign agents breached the Elections Act.None of the security warnings were made public at the time. The censored six-page memo, entitled Briefing To The Prime Minister’s Office On Foreign Interference Threats To Canada’s Democratic Institutions, marked “top secret” detailed the scope of Chinese subterfuge targetting the Conservative Party in 2019 and 2021 general elections.“State actors are able to conduct foreign interference successfully in Canada because there are few legal or political consequences,” said the CSIS memo. “Until foreign interference is viewed as an existential threat to Canadian democracy and governments forcefully and actively respond, these threats will persist.”“At least 11 candidates and 13 staff members were implicated in People’s Republic of China foreign interference networks,” it said.Despite the explicit warnings from Canada’s special intelligence, Trudeau told reporters on May 3, 2023 he knew nothing of Chinese agents targetting Conservative MPs. “The Canadian Security Intelligence Service knew about certain things but didn’t feel it reached a threshold that required them to pass it up out of CSIS,” said Trudeau.“Was it briefed up out of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service? It was not. CSIS made the determination it wasn’t something that needed to be raised to a higher level because it wasn’t a significant enough concern.”Evidence from the 2021 campaign “suggest these efforts were orchestrated or directed by the People’s Republic of China,” said the memo. Unlawful conduct included “activities aimed at discouraging Canadians, particularly of Chinese heritage, from supporting the Conservative Party, leader Erin O’Toole and particularly Steveston-Richmond East candidate Kenny Chiu.”The CSIS memo followed earlier warnings that Conservative MPs were targetted by Chinese agents. “This includes Members of Parliament,” said an October 26, 2022 document called Briefing To The Prime Minister On Foreign Interference Threats To Canada’s Democratic Institutions. “China is by far the most significant threat,” the 2022 briefing note added.A separate September 11, 2021 memo for unnamed “Liberal Party representatives” and a March 28, 2023 document entitled Memorandum For The Clerk Of The Privy Council also detailed Conservative Party complaints of unusual activity in 13 federal ridings. Incumbent Conservative MPs in four of the 13 ridings were unseated: Leona Alleslev (Aurora-Oak Ridges, BC), Kenny Chiu (Steveston-Richmond East, BC), Bob Saroya (Markham-Unionville, ON) and Alice Wong (Richmond Centre, BC).
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) explicitly warned Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office on February 21, 2023 of illegal conduct by Chinese agents. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) posed an “existential threat to Canadian democracy,” the Commission on Foreign Interference disclosed Tuesday, per Blacklock’s Reporter. Trudeau, who is scheduled to testify at the China Inquiry Wednesday, had denied he was ever told foreign agents breached the Elections Act.None of the security warnings were made public at the time. The censored six-page memo, entitled Briefing To The Prime Minister’s Office On Foreign Interference Threats To Canada’s Democratic Institutions, marked “top secret” detailed the scope of Chinese subterfuge targetting the Conservative Party in 2019 and 2021 general elections.“State actors are able to conduct foreign interference successfully in Canada because there are few legal or political consequences,” said the CSIS memo. “Until foreign interference is viewed as an existential threat to Canadian democracy and governments forcefully and actively respond, these threats will persist.”“At least 11 candidates and 13 staff members were implicated in People’s Republic of China foreign interference networks,” it said.Despite the explicit warnings from Canada’s special intelligence, Trudeau told reporters on May 3, 2023 he knew nothing of Chinese agents targetting Conservative MPs. “The Canadian Security Intelligence Service knew about certain things but didn’t feel it reached a threshold that required them to pass it up out of CSIS,” said Trudeau.“Was it briefed up out of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service? It was not. CSIS made the determination it wasn’t something that needed to be raised to a higher level because it wasn’t a significant enough concern.”Evidence from the 2021 campaign “suggest these efforts were orchestrated or directed by the People’s Republic of China,” said the memo. Unlawful conduct included “activities aimed at discouraging Canadians, particularly of Chinese heritage, from supporting the Conservative Party, leader Erin O’Toole and particularly Steveston-Richmond East candidate Kenny Chiu.”The CSIS memo followed earlier warnings that Conservative MPs were targetted by Chinese agents. “This includes Members of Parliament,” said an October 26, 2022 document called Briefing To The Prime Minister On Foreign Interference Threats To Canada’s Democratic Institutions. “China is by far the most significant threat,” the 2022 briefing note added.A separate September 11, 2021 memo for unnamed “Liberal Party representatives” and a March 28, 2023 document entitled Memorandum For The Clerk Of The Privy Council also detailed Conservative Party complaints of unusual activity in 13 federal ridings. Incumbent Conservative MPs in four of the 13 ridings were unseated: Leona Alleslev (Aurora-Oak Ridges, BC), Kenny Chiu (Steveston-Richmond East, BC), Bob Saroya (Markham-Unionville, ON) and Alice Wong (Richmond Centre, BC).
