Meant to inquire into China’s role in influencing the 2019 and 2021 Canadian federal elections, Canada’s Foreign Interference Commission is now seeking to look into alleged Indian interference. The commissioner of the inquiry, which began in September last year, has urged the Canadian government to provide documents related to the alleged Indian interference. This development arises amidst strained India-Canada ties, driven by accusations that India orchestrated the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Nijjar in the Vancouver area last year. Despite the lack of evidence supporting Canada’s claims, India responded by expelling 41 Canadian diplomats, citing interference in its internal affairs.
Formed to address concerns about foreign interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections, the Commission will also examine the flow of information within the federal government, evaluate response measures, gauge the government’s ability to detect, deter, and counter foreign interference, and provide recommendations. The Commission is due to submit an interim report by May 3, 2024, and a final report by December 31, 2024, according to a statement issued on Wednesday.
The Commission is also investigating alleged involvement from Russia and Iran. The elections saw the re-election of the Liberals led by Justin Trudeau, with allegations of Chinese support for the Liberals against the Conservatives. Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic Party, called for the inquiry to include India’s role in influencing the election outcomes and had communicated this to Trudeau. The Commission is set to conduct public hearings in the near future, working in two phases. The first phase concentrates on potential interference by China, Russia, and other foreign actors and its impact on the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. The Commission will examine the “flow of information within the federal government” and response measures during this phase.
During the second phase, the Commission will scrutinize the capacity of federal departments, agencies, institutional structures, and governance processes to enable the Canadian government to detect, deter, and counter such interference, as outlined in earlier statements.
