441-01523 (Foreign affairs)

The Government of Canada takes very seriously all allegations of foreign interference in electoral processes and is committed to the continuous strengthening of Canada’s democratic institutions and their protection from foreign interference. This is why the Prime Minister tasked the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, with leading consultations on what an upcoming process to shed light on the matter of foreign interference in Canadian elections could look like, and to determine who may best be suited to lead this public work. Canadians can rest assured that this is a priority of the Government of Canada and that the selected process will correspond to their needs and to the sensitivity of the intelligence.

The Government of Canada also continues to reinforce its efforts to counter any form of foreign interference in our electoral processes and to strengthen trust in Canada’s democratic institutions.  On March 6, 2023, the Prime Minister of Canada announced measures to further this objective. This included the establishment of a National Counter Foreign Interference Coordinator at Public Safety Canada to coordinate efforts to combat foreign interference; the development of a plan to address  recommendations from the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) and from the independent assessments of the Critical Election Incident Public Protocol by Mr. Morris Rosenberg and Mr. James Judd, and the investment of $5.5 million to strengthen the capacity of civil society partners to counter disinformation.

Following the Prime Minister’s announcements, the Government released its report, Countering an evolving threat: Update on recommendations to counter foreign interference in Canada’s democratic institutions, which outlines the recommendations made in the reports to protect Canadian democratic institutions and processes; summarizes the actions that have been taken or are in progress to address the recommendations; and proposes further steps for consideration to bolster Canada’s response to foreign interference threats.

The Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructures and Communities has also announced additional details with regards to the $5.5 million investment to strengthen defences against online disinformation.

These efforts demonstrate the Government of Canada’s continued efforts to protect our democratic institutions, including our electoral processes, from any possible threats.

Additionally, both NSICOP and the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA) have indicated their intention to undertake reviews with regards to foreign interference and in accordance with their mandates. NSICOP has announced it will launch a review of foreign interference in Canada’s federal democratic processes pursuant to section 8(1)(a) of the NSICOP Act, and NSIRA has announced it will a review of the production and dissemination of intelligence on foreign interference with respect to the 43^rd and 44^th federal elections. The Government’s next steps will be taken in close consideration of the findings and recommendations of both bodies. 

Finally, when they are well informed and engaged, Canadians can be the best line of defence in our efforts to fight foreign interference in our democratic processes. As such, I wish to thank you for this petition, which I see as a clear commitment to democracy. Indeed, petitions are a direct form of democratic participation and contribute to the dialogue between citizens and their elected decision-makers.