Canada has become ‘playground’ for foreign interference, Tory MP Chong tells inquiry

A Conservative MP who was targeted by Beijing told a federal inquiry Wednesday that Canada has become “a playground” for foreign interference.

Michael Chong, the Tory foreign affairs critic, said the federal government should shed its culture of secrecy and disclose more information about threats to better inform the public.

Chong said while the vast majority of intelligence must remain secret, keeping too much information under wraps results in leaks that undermine institutions.

The inquiry’s latest public hearings are focusing on the capacity of federal agencies to detect, deter and counter foreign meddling.

Chong has long been critical of China’s human-rights record. In May 2023, the federal government confirmed a media report that Canada’s spy service had information in 2021 that the Chinese government was looking at ways to intimidate Chong and his family.

Chong told the inquiry he was disappointed to learn about Beijing’s efforts by reading a newspaper story.

Soon after the story appeared he was given details at a high-level briefing, but he believes he should have been informed much earlier.

Chong pointed a finger at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, saying he or a delegate should have granted authorization for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to inform him sooner of China’s intentions.

Global Affairs Canada said in August 2023 it believed that Chong had been the victim of a foreign smear campaign, which the department suspected was conducted by Beijing.

The department said a co-ordinated network of news accounts on the social media app WeChat posted a large volume of false or misleading narratives about Chong from May 4 to 13 of that year.

Chong cited that episode as a better way of handling such events.

“They informed me about it, they made the information public,” he said Wednesday.

“I think that’s an example of how things should be made public.”

However, he expressed concern about an interaction that took place a year ago, saying he was approached by a person who offered to help as a volunteer with elections and by providing advice.

Chong told the inquiry the person seemed familiar, and a little research indicated they had been dismissed from a job years earlier at the Privy Council Office for disloyalty to Canada and being an agent of the Chinese government.

Chong said the PCO subsequently told him all records about the individual had been destroyed.

Following his testimony, Chong told reporters it was “astounding” that the Canadian government did not have any information as to whether the person is a present threat to parliamentarians.

“It’s another example of a government that has failed to make national security a priority and to protect the security of our democratic institutions.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2024.