Foreign interference | China wins, Canadian democracy loses

Justin Trudeau is a master in the art of saving time. When controversy hits his government, he generally uses the same strategy: first downplay the scandal, then wait wisely for the storm to die down. This is what he is trying to do again in the case of Chinese interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.

Eric Montigny

Professor of political science at Laval University and currently visiting researcher at Sciences Po Bordeaux*

He initially refused to see a problem there. He then made sure to delay the work of parliamentarians meeting in committee to see things more clearly. He has since opposed the motion passed by the House of Commons calling for a public inquiry.

At the same time, his government commissioned Morris Rosenberg, a former CEO of the Trudeau Foundation, to make an initial report. Remember that the Trudeau Foundation is also at the center of the controversy. He then mandated David Johnston, former Governor General, to make recommendations regarding the holding of a public inquiry.

Criticized for his closeness to the Trudeau family and his public bias towards China^⁠1the “independent special rapporteur on foreign interference” unsurprisingly refused to support the holding of a public inquiry commission.

For months, various Canadian media have echoed several actions taken by China to interfere in Canada’s electoral processes. As the revelations progressed, we learned some disturbing things:

1) elected officials and their family members, including the leader of the official opposition, were placed under surveillance by foreign agents because of their criticism of the Chinese regime;

2) strategies were deployed to influence the vote in constituencies where the vote of voters of Chinese origin could have an effect on the outcome;

3) the Liberal Party of Canada was allegedly infiltrated in order to influence the selection of certain candidates. One MP was even expelled from the Liberal caucus for this reason.

The Foundations of Canadian Democracy

Foreign government interference in Canadian elections is not a controversy like any other. It touches the very foundations of Canadian democracy. This controversy will not go away on its own. This is not a partisan affair, but an attack on the “integrity of our electoral system”, to use the words of former director general of Elections Canada Jean-Pierre Kingsley.^⁠2. On the contrary, it should be of concern to all parties. Because China’s objective is twofold.

The Chinese regime is first trying to increase its influence on Canadian soil, in particular by fighting against elected officials or candidates it considers too critical of its internal and foreign policies. To do this, it would have intervened directly and indirectly in our elections as well as in the internal democracy of our political parties. This could, for example, have taken the form of unauthorized election spending, controlling local authorities within a party or being active in political financing. In this regard, the scandal will be remembered “ cash-for-access »^⁠3 which had forced the Trudeau government to tighten the provisions of the Federal Elections Law on Political Fundraising Activities.

China is also achieving another goal. Like all dictatorships, it strives to undermine the principles of democratic regimes.

However, for a democracy, the confidence of a population in its political institutions is what is most precious. It is this trust that enables electoral participation.

It is still trust that ensures the legitimacy of laws and decisions taken by elected officials. It is also this confidence that makes it possible to calmly accept defeat in elections.

In the West, Canada is an exception in terms of trust in its institutions. To date, the decline has been much less marked there than elsewhere. In 2021, three out of four Canadians said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the functioning of their democracy^⁠4.

In less than 30 years in the United States, the rate of confidence in democracy has fallen from 75% to less than 50% ^⁠5, resulting in polarization, the rise of populism and the growth of authoritarian values ​​within the electorate. In 2023, only a third of Europeans still trust their parliaments. Only in France, at 23%, the situation is even worse^⁠6.

In this context, the use of a public inquiry into foreign interference must first be seen as an exercise aimed at protecting citizens’ confidence in Canadian democracy. To understand the schemes used. To ensure that the measures taken to protect the integrity of the vote are always sufficient and well adapted to reality.

By refusing to comply with the vote of the House of Commons which requires the establishment of a real independent commission of inquiry, it is on this front that Justin Trudeau becomes the accomplice of China. By multiplying the loopholes and red herrings, it also contributes to undermining the confidence of Canadians in their democracy. And it is the Chinese dictatorship that wins.

* Eric Montigny is a member of the Research Chair on Democracy and Parliamentary Institutions.