LIVE UPDATES: Foreign Interference Commission hears what efforts were taken to protect elections
The inquiry is hearing what steps were taken by officials to secure the integrity of Canada's 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
The Foreign Interference Commission continues on Friday, with government officials, including Liberal MP Karina Gould, then-minister of democratic institutions during the 2021 election, testifying about steps they took to ensure the election was secure.
The public hearings will pause for the weekend, before resuming for three more days next week, starting on Monday.
Follow along with live updates from the hearing with Sheila Gunn Reid on X, or on the page below:
Back at the Foreign Interference Commission. First witness is Allen Sutherland, Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet for Privy Council Office (PCO).
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) April 5, 2024
Sutherland says that the plan to protect Canada's 2021 election was developed without consultation with the opposition parties the Liberal government knew were being targeted in the 2019 election.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) April 5, 2024
Convenient. pic.twitter.com/EGUVqxpIDq
Liberal MP Karina Gould, when Minister of Democratic Institutions, pressured social media companies to voluntarily censor online content in the lead-up to the 2021 election.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) April 5, 2024
She and Sutherland visited Microsoft's headquarters to "help open our eyes to the nature of the evolving… pic.twitter.com/ysqBFcQu7A
Sutherland tells CPC's lawyer, DeLuca, that foreign interference briefings would be conducted at a party's request. However, he is shown a document showing CSIS requesting and then holding a private briefing with the Liberals on foreign interference.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) April 5, 2024
These are meetings CPC MPs… pic.twitter.com/yhLLyqIlkJ
Next up a panel of security and intelligence threats to elections task force (SITE TF) members.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) April 5, 2024
Eric Gordon - RCMP
Gallit Dobner - Director of the Centre for International Digital Policy at Global Affairs Canada
Lyall King - former chair of SITE TF and now director of risk…
Members of the SITE TF explain that they knew had determined foreign meddling to have taken place in the 2019 election.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) April 5, 2024
Seems to me like everyone knew, except the people being targeted. pic.twitter.com/8PV0U467sK
SITE TF knew about the targeting of Kenny Chiu and was aware of the PRC giving money to Canada-based operatives $250,000 to interfere in the 2019 election. pic.twitter.com/g39nULag8p
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) April 5, 2024
SITE TF is asked about the CSIS report that was recalled. One week after the 2019 election, the report referenced potential foreign interference by a "politically connected Canadian" who appeared to be acting on behalf of a foreign state in the lead-up to the 2019 election.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) April 5, 2024
The… pic.twitter.com/1XIFpxV2eg
SITE TF members were annoyed with CSIS for a report about foreign interference that came a week after the 2019 election.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) April 5, 2024
However, the information about a Canadian acting on behalf of a foreign entity was compiled well before the election. pic.twitter.com/dQr1GJHdLb
A secret CSIS agent attached to the SITE TF recalls an Oct 2019 meeting with the Conservative Party, but that meeting was only upon the Conservatives' request.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) April 5, 2024
A lawyer for Trudeau's AG thinks this is some sort of Matlock moment - that this proves the CPC was getting high-level… pic.twitter.com/kPLcQIPCOt
The Liberal Government demanded that Facebook censor the Buffalo Chronicle, a fake news site because the Liberals feared it would hurt the election. https://t.co/GH15AlDK1y
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) April 5, 2024
But the SITE TF investigated fully and found it was not a foreign operation and thus not a legitimate… pic.twitter.com/ew2MDiJm51
Lawyer for Erin O'Toole hits the SITE TF with a statement from Walied Soliman, the chair of the 2021 CPC campaign, who said SITE TF told him there was nothing to worry about with regard to foreign interference.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) April 5, 2024
(The NDP campaign said the same thing) pic.twitter.com/ziUa1ytK9E
Lawyer for NDP MP Jenny Kwan showed how the information about foreign interference was being given to the various agencies tasked with election integrity.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) April 5, 2024
Still, one hand hardly knew what the other was doing. pic.twitter.com/iXvPiH9K6Q
Ok that's it for me from the commission for this week.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) April 5, 2024
Back at 'er Monday bright and early.
I have a few more clips to post over the weekend but I cannot sit in this office another second!
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