A Conservative MP who has been targeted by Beijing told a federal inquiry Wednesday that Canada has become “a playground” for foreign interference.
Michael Chong, the Conservative foreign affairs critic, said the federal government should abandon its culture of secrecy and release more information about threats to better inform the public.
The Ontario MP admits that the vast majority of information should remain secret. But he argues that if too much information is kept secret, it leads to leaks that undermine institutions.
The latest public hearings in the inquiry focus on the ability of federal agencies to detect, deter and counter foreign interference.
Mr. Chong has long been critical of China’s human rights record.
In May 2023, the federal government confirmed a report that the Canadian intelligence service had information in 2021 that the Chinese government was looking for ways to intimidate Mr. Chong and his relatives in Hong Kong.
Mr Chong told the inquiry he was disappointed to learn of Beijing’s efforts after reading a newspaper article.
Shortly after the article appeared, details were given to him at a high-level briefing, but he believes he should have been informed much earlier.
The elected official pointed the finger at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, saying he or a delegate should have allowed the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to inform him earlier about China’s intentions.
Global Affairs Canada said in August 2023 that it believed the MP had been the victim of a smear campaign originating abroad — the department suspected Beijing.
The ministry said a coordinated network of news accounts on the social media app WeChat posted a large number of false or misleading stories about Mr. Chong from May 4 to May 13 that year.
Mr. Chong cited the episode as a better way to handle such events. “They informed me, they made it public,” he told the Hogue committee Wednesday. “I think it’s an example of how things should be made public.”
He did, however, express concerns about an interaction a year ago, in which someone offered to help him as an election volunteer and offered to provide advice.
Mr. Chong told the commission that the person looked familiar to him and that a little research indicated that she had been fired from a job years earlier at the Privy Council Office for disloyalty to Canada and for being an agent of the Chinese government.
Michael Chong added that the Privy Council Office (PCO) subsequently told him that all files relating to the individual had been destroyed.
Speaking to reporters after his testimony before the committee, Chong said it was “astounding” that the Canadian government had no information about whether this individual currently poses a threat to parliamentarians. “This is another example of a government that has failed to make national security a priority and protect the security of our democratic institutions.”
Current and former federal MPs who have been identified as potential victims of foreign interference will testify Wednesday before the public inquiry commission looking into the issue.
The final report of the commission, chaired by Judge Marie-Josée Hogue, is expected by the end of the year.