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New counter-interference office must answer only to Parliament: ex-CSIS officer

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Canada’s former head of CSIS’s Asia-Pacific unit says any new body countering foreign interference must be answerable to Parliament, not a cabinet minister.

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Testifying Friday before the House ethics committee, former CSIS counterintelligence officer Michel Juneau-Katsuya praised mentions in this week’s budget proposing an office dedicated to countering foreign interference, but said such an agency can’t be overseen by a government ministry.

“I welcome the initiative to create a national office against foreign interference, but to place it under the minister of public security is not appropriate,” he told committee members.

“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again — all past and present governments have been part of the problem, not part of the solution.”

The Liberal government have faced increasing pressure over allegations of meddling by foreign governments — specifically the People’s Republic of China — implicated in alleged attempts to influence both the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.

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This new office, he said, must have the powers and ability to investigate, search, arrest and prosecute in a criminal court and operate without the possibility of political interference.

Juneau-Katsuya also said the proposed budget — $13.5 million over five years — isn’t enough to ensure investigators are able to operate across the country and offer assistance to provincial and municipal governments who need it.

He also said the $48.9 million destined to bolster the RCMP’s anti-interference efforts will have little impact without creating a national political interference office.

“The RCMP, like CSIS, cannot be the investigative body,” he said.

“They have not been able to get governments to act in 30 years, so how can we expect this to change tomorrow?”

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Earlier in his opening remarks, Juneau-Katsuya said CSIS had been sounding the alarm about Chinese government interference for three decades.

“Every federal government, from Mr. Mulroney to Mr. Trudeau today, have been compromised by agents of communist China,” he said.

“Every government were informed at one point or another, every government chose to ignore CSIS warnings.”

Over the years, Juneau-Katsuya said, ridings with large numbers of Chinese-Canadians are favourite targets for foreign interference attempts.

“These were the hunting grounds of the consular office, the work is done by consular officers most of the time,” he said in response to a question from committee member Michael Barrett.

“We have a certain number, but they were all the time the same ones targeted.”

He said governments let their decision-making processes be manipulated out of partisanship and successful attempts by foreign agents to control messaging.

“Every prime minister and/or their staff chose to ignore the seriousness of the threat,” he said, adding that all political parties have, at one point or another, been compromised by foreign influence by any number of belligerent nations — not just China.

“Every government has been part of the problem, not part of the solution.”


Article content

Canada’s former head of CSIS’s Asia-Pacific unit says any new body countering foreign interference must be answerable to Parliament, not a cabinet minister.

Article content

Testifying Friday before the House ethics committee, former CSIS counterintelligence officer Michel Juneau-Katsuya praised mentions in this week’s budget proposing an office dedicated to countering foreign interference, but said such an agency can’t be overseen by a government ministry.

“I welcome the initiative to create a national office against foreign interference, but to place it under the minister of public security is not appropriate,” he told committee members.

“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again — all past and present governments have been part of the problem, not part of the solution.”

The Liberal government have faced increasing pressure over allegations of meddling by foreign governments — specifically the People’s Republic of China — implicated in alleged attempts to influence both the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.

Article content

This new office, he said, must have the powers and ability to investigate, search, arrest and prosecute in a criminal court and operate without the possibility of political interference.

Juneau-Katsuya also said the proposed budget — $13.5 million over five years — isn’t enough to ensure investigators are able to operate across the country and offer assistance to provincial and municipal governments who need it.

He also said the $48.9 million destined to bolster the RCMP’s anti-interference efforts will have little impact without creating a national political interference office.

“The RCMP, like CSIS, cannot be the investigative body,” he said.

“They have not been able to get governments to act in 30 years, so how can we expect this to change tomorrow?”

Article content

Earlier in his opening remarks, Juneau-Katsuya said CSIS had been sounding the alarm about Chinese government interference for three decades.

“Every federal government, from Mr. Mulroney to Mr. Trudeau today, have been compromised by agents of communist China,” he said.

“Every government were informed at one point or another, every government chose to ignore CSIS warnings.”

Over the years, Juneau-Katsuya said, ridings with large numbers of Chinese-Canadians are favourite targets for foreign interference attempts.

“These were the hunting grounds of the consular office, the work is done by consular officers most of the time,” he said in response to a question from committee member Michael Barrett.

“We have a certain number, but they were all the time the same ones targeted.”

He said governments let their decision-making processes be manipulated out of partisanship and successful attempts by foreign agents to control messaging.

“Every prime minister and/or their staff chose to ignore the seriousness of the threat,” he said, adding that all political parties have, at one point or another, been compromised by foreign influence by any number of belligerent nations — not just China.

“Every government has been part of the problem, not part of the solution.”

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