Is it just me or are we all finding it more than a bit bizarre and a lot alarming that we now know an unspecified number of Canadian Members of Parliament have either wittingly or unwittingly been involved in the efforts of foreign states to meddle in Canadian politics?
As you know, the discussion began recently after the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians unveiled its lengthy Special Report on Foreign Interference in Canada’s Democratic Processes and Institutions.
The report was submitted to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau back in March, but it has only been recently that the rest of us became privy to its implications.
According to the report, back in 2019, the two biggest players seeking to disrupt Canada’s inner workings were China and Russia, with India, Pakistan and Iran also involved.
“The Committee found that these activities posed a significant risk to national security, principally by undermining Canada’s fundamental institutions and eroding the rights and freedoms of people in Canada,” it read in part.
Now if that isn’t some scary stuff, I don’t know what is, but here we are five years later and the situation has only become more pressing, with China remaining the largest foreign interference threat to the country.
As you may recall, it wasn’t that long ago when Chatham-Kent had a taste of some dubious Chinese interactions.
After blowing the dust off of some old columns, I........