Former Canadian ambassador to China Guy Saint-Jacques says Beijing’s meddling in Canada’s democracy is worse than ever.
Earlier this week, 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.
Saint-Jacques told Global News that he is not surprised by the explosive allegations, but he is surprised by the government’s lack of response.
“What surprises me is that, in fact, the situation seems to have gotten worse over time,” Saint-Jacques said. “It’s mind-boggling that more hasn’t been done to counteract that.”
When Saint-Jacques was ambassador 10 years ago, he said he was aware of discussions raising concerns about collusion by parliamentarians, senators, provincial politicians and political staff with China.
The former ambassador says Canada has been “complacent” for nearly a decade when it comes to Beijing, and federal leaders need to take a tougher approach.
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“We should punish those we have evidence of,” he said.
“In other cases, when we have a clear idea of what is happening, it is necessary to talk to these people and say, ‘This is behavior that is not tolerable.'”
The release of the report has raised concerns among security experts that under current Canadian laws it is difficult to prosecute MPs who work with foreign states. The Liberal government has introduced Bill C-70, which aims to address foreign interference and require those acting on behalf of foreign governments in Canada to register.
“I think it will make people responsible for being prosecuted,” Saint-Jacques said. “And I think it’s a welcome step.”
It is unclear whether the legislation will be implemented before the next general election, which must be called no later than October 2025.
But Saint-Jacques says more could be done before the next election. He is advocating for political parties to “clean up” their nomination processes for political candidates and change the rules so that only Canadian citizens can vote for candidates.
“(Foreign agents) may have been involved in some processes to select leaders at the federal level, and this is something that will have to be analyzed,” Saint-Jacques said. “Our democracy is under attack.”
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