Green Party Leader Elizabeth May expressed her frustration after a top-secret briefing on foreign interference failed to provide her with access to key intelligence documents. The briefing, conducted by former special rapporteur David Johnston, included a confidential annex of evidence that opposition party leaders with the appropriate security clearance could review. Despite having top-secret security clearance, May was only presented with two documents authored by Johnston, and was not allowed to read the main 20-page annex that cited numerous intelligence reports. May has requested access to all the cited records in order to properly assess the credibility of Johnston’s findings. She clarified that she does not suspect a cover-up, but rather a mistake in how officials interpreted the instructions to allow clearance-holding individuals to review the conclusions based on the full information contained in the annex.
May did manage to examine some of the evidence related to allegations surrounding Toronto MP Han Dong, who resigned from the Liberal caucus after accusations of benefiting from Chinese foreign interference. May emphasized that the documentation she reviewed provided more detailed information on the nomination process, which is deemed confidential and top-secret.
May also addressed the issue of leaks of intelligence information to the media and expressed her concern about inappropriate levels of partisanship and the potential undermining of Canada’s security. She called for the naming and prosecution of individuals responsible for leaking intelligence information and stressed the importance of maintaining a reliable security and intelligence establishment.
Foreign state interference in Canadian elections and political processes is seen as a threat to democracy, according to May. She referenced previous incidents, such as the case of Maher Arar and the RCMP public complaints commission’s finding that the force influenced a federal election, to highlight the need to address such interference. May expressed her concerns about potential leaks originating from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and criticized those responsible for leaking information under the pretense of being whistleblowers.
In conclusion, May emphasized the importance of ensuring the reliability of Canada’s security and intelligence establishment and called for a thorough investigation into foreign interference, including the involvement of other states besides China. She also mentioned that the Green Party has submitted names of potential commissioners for a public inquiry, which the party believes should have the support of all opposition parties. May reiterated her commitment to protecting Canada’s democracy and institutions, and urged Canadians to have confidence in their electoral process.
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