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OTTAWA — Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson talks to Brian Lee Crowley, the managing director of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, about the government’s plan to fight foreign interference in Canadian elections.
The first report by the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference published on May 3 found that Chinese international students may have received “veiled threats” from the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) consulate and been provided with falsified documents to allow them to vote for Liberal candidate Han Dong’s nomination ahead of the 2019 election.
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Inquiry commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue had “no difficulty” concluding that there was foreign interference in certain ridings that likely impacted at least one nomination race and potentially undermined certain candidates viewed unfavourably by the Chinese government.
Hogue, who is expected to publish a second report later this year, also found that the Liberals undoubtedly won the last two elections and that the country’s voting system has been strong and secure.
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In response to the report, the government tabled a bill on Monday to help combat foreign interference, including a much-awaited foreign agent registry. But questions remain if the changes will be implemented before the next election, set to happen in October 2025 at the latest, since officials hinted there could be a delay of about a year to put in place the foreign agent registry after the bill receives royal assent.
The legislation also creates new offences related to foreign interference and proposes changes in the CSIS Act, which would enable the spy agency to share information with key partners outside of the government of Canada.
National Post
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