The Trudeau administration on Monday yielded to increasing pressure from opposition leaders and the public by endorsing an investigation into Canadian lawmakers accused of collaborating with foreign governments.
The National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) ignited a political upheaval on June 3 by releasing a report that accused certain lawmakers of “knowingly aiding foreign state actors,” including hostile powers like China, Russia, and Iran.
The report also raised India to a significant interference threat, claiming the Indian government has been attempting to influence Canada to act against Sikh separatists residing in the country. A major diplomatic conflict between Canada and India occurred in September 2023 when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly accused the Indian government of murdering Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil.
The report was also sharply critical of Trudeau and his administration for ignoring warnings about foreign collusion. Critics of Trudeau contend that his blatant negligence was an effort to protect his Liberal Party, as many politicians benefiting from foreign money and political support were Liberals.
Trudeau and his top officials seemed to believe they could weather the storm by insisting the report must remain redacted for national security reasons and by vaguely promising to take the allegations seriously without ever disclosing the details to the public.
On Monday, that strategy appeared to falter in the face of a motion from opposition lawmakers to refer NSICOP’s report to Justice Marie-Josee Hogue and her Foreign Interference Commission.
The Hogue Commission was established in September 2023 to investigate foreign meddling in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 federal elections. The commission has already held two public hearings as part of its investigation and is required to submit a final report by the end of this year. The commission released an interim report in May stating foreign interference definitely occurred, but it did not compromise the overall integrity of the elections.
“We agree with members of this House that the appropriate forum to look at these matters is the commission already set up and operating,” he said.
LeBlanc argued that “illegally announcing a list of names” would be irresponsible.
“I asked the Deputy Commissioner of the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) Mark Flynn this morning what would happen if I announced the list of names like my colleagues are asking me to do, and he said I would be subject to criminal prosecution. So guess what, Mr. Speaker? I’m not going to do that,” he said during a parliamentary session.
LeBlanc had earlier invited opposition leaders to obtain security clearances if they wanted to view the unredacted NSICOP report. Several of them have done so, but Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre refused because he believes the information should be made public, not viewed by a small circle of party leaders who would then be bound to secrecy.
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said he would respect the promise of secrecy that came with the confidential briefing he has agreed to receive – but he also mentioned he would not hesitate to eject any member of his party who “knowingly” participated in foreign collusion, so if a few NDP members get expelled right after Singh reads the unredacted report, it will not be difficult for the public to deduce why.
Trudeau stated on Monday he supported the motion introduced by the Bloc Quebecois to involve the Hogue Commission, because “it’s extremely important we continue to take foreign interference with all the seriousness it requires.” The opposition would dispute his choice of words, as a key element of the widening scandal is that Trudeau did not take foreign interference seriously.
Recent days have seen increasingly candid discussions among politicians and the press suggesting that some of the activities described in the NSICOP report could be labeled as “treason.” Trudeau refused to answer when questioned if he agreed with that label.
