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At the Foreign Interference Inquiry, the Human Rights Coalition Represented by HRAG Lawyers Brought a Motion to Recall CSIS Chief for Further Questioning, Amid New Disclosure of “Remarkable” Document

By April 10, 2024August 8th, 2024No Comments

As described by the Globe and Mail, a top-secret briefing for the Prime Minister’s Office, prepared by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), in February of last year said Beijing had “clandestinely and deceptively interfered in both the 2019 and 2021 general elections”. The CSIS document stated China’s interference was “pragmatic in nature and focused primarily in supporting those viewed to be either ‘pro PRC’ or ‘neutral’ on issues of interest to the PRC government”.  Further, it “explained that Canadian intelligence officials considered it likely that China had transferred $250,000 to Canada for foreign interference operations during the 2019 election. In the 2021 election, the document said, Canadian intelligence had found that China was bent on defeating Conservative candidates, and that it had waged a disinformation campaign against Mr. O’Toole and Conservative MP Kenny Chiu, who was defeated in that campaign”.

The top-secret briefing was shared to parties to the Foreign Interference Commission only on April 7, 2024, days after CSIS Chief David Vigneault had completed his testimony.

Represented by Sarah Teich, the Human Rights Coalition brought a motion to recall Vigneault for further cross-examination, so that parties could cross-examine him on the briefings. The motion was supported by a variety of other parties including Erin O’Toole, Michael Chong, Jenny Kwan, the Russian Canadian Democratic Alliance, and the Conservative Party of Canada.

After initially accommodating that parties could ask written questions of Vigneault, Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue ultimately agreed to recall the CSIS Chief for further cross-examination.

The story was covered in the Globe and Mail, which is available online.