A federal commission of inquiry says foreign interference by China did not affect the overall results of the 2019 and 2021 general elections won by Justin Trudeau’s Liberals.
In an interim report today, commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue says while it is possible that outcomes in a small number of ridings were affected by meddling, this cannot be said with certainty.
Hogue, who heard extensive testimony and reviewed secret documents, found that interference by Beijing and others did not undermine the integrity of Canada’s electoral system during the two votes.
“Our system remains sound. Voters were able to cast their ballots, their votes were duly registered and counted and there is nothing to suggest that there was any interference whatsoever in this regard,” she said. “Nor did foreign interference have any impact on which party formed the government in the two most recent elections.”
She went on to say that interference from abroad undermined public confidence in Canadian democracy, perhaps the greatest harm caused by meddling.
The inquiry recently wrapped up 10 days of public hearings into suggestions that China, India, Russia and others tried to meddle in the last two general elections.
The ongoing inquiry will next shift to broader policy issues, looking at the government’s ability to detect, deter and counter foreign interference.
