Canada’s spy chief says political leaders could take steps to ensure MPs accused of cooperating with foreign governments face consequences, even if they do not face criminal prosecution.
David Vigneault, director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), suggested to a parliamentary committee on Thursday that party leaders could bar any of their MPs suspected of collusion from running for the party again, or expel them from caucus for accusations that they cooperated. with foreign states such as China and India.
“If you can’t find accountability and create a deterrent through a judicial process, then there are other mechanisms that have been referenced, including leaders having the information and making decisions,” Vigneault told the House of Commons. public safety committee.
“It won’t be a judicial process, it won’t be someone charged in a court of law, but it’s someone who won’t be allowed to run, won’t be allowed to caucus.”
Vigneault’s testimony came days after a report from the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) alleged that sitting federal politicians are “resourceful” participants in foreign interference plots. The report does not mention names and the Liberal government is reluctant to reveal their identities, citing concerns about intelligence sharing.
The allegations are staggering and the Liberal government is once again under pressure to respond to revelations of foreign interference campaigns. But at a committee meeting early Thursday morning, Liberal MP Jennifer O’Connell interrupted opposition members who demanded the names of MPs accused of collusion with foreign governments.
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O’Connell shouted at Conservative MP Frank Caputo, while pressuring Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc to identify the alleged plotters. He later shouted “boohoo, get over it” when another Conservative MP, Garnett Genius, called on the committee chair to intervene.
O’Connell, MP for Pickering-Uxbridge, previously sat on NSICOP until 2021 and accused the Conservatives of alleging a “cover-up” despite the committee’s public findings.
“The information is protected and considered secret,” O’Connell said.
But Caputo said Canadians have a right to know which federal politicians have allegedly helped (or received assistance) from foreign states ahead of the next general election.
“What would be more in the public interest than a person who could be elected and is under the control of a hostile state actor?” Caputo asked.
LeBlanc, along with NSICOP president David McGuinty, said they cannot reveal names because they are subject to Canada’s official secrets law, the Security of Information Act.
“I’m not going to violate the Information Security Act and risk prosecution for a political stunt, and I think Mr. Caputo knows better,” LeBlanc said.
“An intelligence source or information may have no context, it may be discredited, it may be altered. “The idea that there is a perfect list of names is not entirely reliable (and) that it should be made public is simply irresponsible.”
RCMP Deputy Commissioner Mark Flynn, who also appeared before the committee Thursday, agreed there are limits to what can be revealed when it comes to foreign interference investigations.
“It’s really important to protect sources and methods,” Flynn said.
“(Intelligence) cannot be used in a way that reveals it publicly, which could lead to (the) compromise of a source or collection method of that information.”
Even if the veil of secrecy were lifted, Flynn said current laws could make it harder to prosecute MPs accused of collaborating with foreign interests.
“There is information in the community in the hands of other national security (and) intelligence officials that hasn’t gotten into the hands of the RCMP, or hasn’t gotten into the hands of the RCMP in a way that allows us to use it,” Flynn said.
The Liberal government introduced Bill C-70, sweeping legislation aimed at addressing foreign interference, which would include a registry of people in Canada acting on behalf of foreign governments.
It is unclear whether the legislation will be implemented before the next general election, scheduled for 2025.
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