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interference

Wednesday September 13, 2023

September 13, 2023 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday September 13, 2023

Canada’s Wake-Up Call: Confronting the Fierce Dragon of Chinese Interference

May 5, 2023

Canada’s government’s sluggish and inadequate response to Chinese foreign interference has come under scrutiny following the recent testimony of Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong in Washington. Chong, who himself has been targeted by the Chinese government, emphasized the necessity of a coordinated approach between Canada and the United States to counter Beijing’s meddling in Western democracies and its harassment of diaspora communities.

Chong’s subtle revelation that the Liberal government did not promptly inform him about Chinese targeting, despite their prior knowledge, raises doubts about the government’s commitment to addressing this issue. The delayed response and reluctance to take decisive action suggest a lack of urgency in safeguarding Canadian sovereignty and democratic principles.

News: MP Michael Chong urges U.S. lawmakers to work with Canada to combat Chinese meddling  

August 1, 2023

Chong’s account of China’s repressive tactics, including the establishment of unlawful police stations in Canada, coercion of individuals to return to China, and offering rewards for those on “wanted” lists, underscores the gravity of the threat. It is evident that such tactics are incompatible with the values of a free and sovereign nation like Canada.

While Chong advocated for Canada to collaborate closely with the United States and other democracies to counter China’s actions, the challenge lies in Canada’s reliability as a partner. Canada’s failure to seize shipments suspected of exploiting forced Uyghur labor, in contrast to the United States, raises concerns about its commitment to combating human rights abuses.

June 2, 2023

Canada’s potential to become a more robust partner to the U.S. in countering Chinese interference hinges on implementing regulatory reforms and expediting natural resource projects to facilitate the export of critical minerals and natural gas. The government must follow through on these commitments to effectively support its allies in the battle against foreign interference.

News: Meet the Canadian lawmaker targeted by China  

Senator Jeff Merkley’s proposed legislation, aimed at combating transnational repression, underscores the need for a comprehensive and well-coordinated response to foreign interference. Canada must step up its efforts to safeguard its national sovereignty and protect the rights of its citizens from Beijing’s interference, acknowledging the seriousness of the threat and taking substantive action to address it. (AI)

 

Posted in: Canada Tagged: 2023-15, Beijing, Canada, Capital, China, Congress, dragon, foreign, interference, Michael Chong, Senate, testimony, USA

Friday May 5, 2023

May 5, 2023 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday May 5, 2023

Chong’s Family Targeted by Chinese Operative: Trudeau Government Plays Dumb

April 15, 2023

April 15, 2023

In ancient Rome, Nero famously fiddled while the city burned. In modern-day Canada, it seems that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is similarly preoccupied with distractions while a critical issue simmers. Specifically, the issue of foreign interference from China has been bubbling up for months, and yet the Trudeau government has repeatedly failed to act decisively.

The latest scandal involves the targeting of MP Michael Chong’s family by a Chinese operative, allegedly in retaliation for Chong’s vote in support of deeming China’s treatment of its Uyghur minority as a genocide. This behavior is repugnant and underscores the need for Canada to take a strong stand against foreign interference.

News: Joly weighs Chinese retaliation  

February 25, 2023

What is truly shocking, however, is that the Trudeau government failed to pass on this critical information to Chong or even the Prime Minister himself. The fact that the Chinese operative remained accredited in the Toronto consulate for two years after being identified as the source of the threat is downright inexplicable.

Trudeau’s response to the situation has been lackluster, with his statements contradicting those of his chief of staff and failing to take decisive action. It was only after the scandal hit the headlines that the government announced it would summon China’s ambassador to Canada to protest the alleged intimidation of Chong and his family.

Expelling a diplomat is not a decision to be taken lightly, but the Trudeau government’s ongoing failure to address the issue of foreign interference suggests that stronger action is needed. The fact that the two Michaels were being held as political prisoners in Beijing when this scandal came to light underscores the severity of the issue.

March 9, 2023

MP Chong has every right to be upset and is calling for the operative to be declared persona non grata immediately. It is time for the Trudeau government to stop deflecting, downplaying, and obfuscating and take a strong stand against foreign interference.

David Johnston’s upcoming report on the need for a public inquiry into foreign interference is a step in the right direction, but it is increasingly clear that action needs to be taken now. Nero fiddled while Rome burned, but Canada cannot afford to do the same. It’s time for the Trudeau government to wake up and take action to protect our democracy. (AI)

 

Posted in: Canada Tagged: 2023-08, Canada, China, fiddles, intelligence, interference, Justin Trudeau, Michael Chong, Nero, security

Friday April 14, 2023

April 14, 2023 by Graeme MacKay

April 15, 2023

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday April 14, 2023

Babysitting Trudeau: Will Katie Telford’s Testimony Shed Light on Foreign Interference?

March 24, 2023

As we watch Katie Telford, the chief of staff in the Prime Minister’s Office, testify before a parliamentary committee on foreign interference in Canadian elections, it’s hard not to imagine her as a babysitter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Telford, who has been by Trudeau’s side since his early days in politics, has been referred to as “one of the most powerful women in this country” by Conservative MP Raquel Dancho. She has been the ultimate gatekeeper for Trudeau, shaping the political messaging and information that reaches him.

But Telford’s testimony at the committee raises questions about accountability and transparency in the PMO. She has appeared before committees in the past, but Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman rightly asks, “What is the difference this time?” Telford’s role in the Liberal party and her closeness to Trudeau make her testimony crucial in understanding the issue of foreign interference in Canadian elections. However, there are concerns that the committee may not learn anything of value from her, and that her testimony may be a waste of time.

Opinion: Justin Trudeau’s most trusted adviser has always avoided the spotlight. That’s about to change  

February 20, 2019

Moreover, Telford’s unelected position as chief of staff highlights the issue of unaccountable power in the PMO. She and Gerald Butts, Trudeau’s former principal secretary, both have significant influence in the government without being elected by Canadians. This raises questions about democratic accountability and whether the power of the PMO needs to be diluted, as Trudeau had promised in the past.

Telford’s background as a longtime political strategist, who started her career in politics at a young age and has been with Trudeau through multiple election campaigns, speaks to her expertise in navigating the political landscape. However, her loyalty to the Liberal party has also been criticized, with some arguing that she serves the party rather than the interests of Canadians.

News: Trudeau’s top aide to face MPs’ questions today about China’s election meddling  

March 2, 2023

As Telford testifies before the committee, it’s important to keep in mind the larger context of accountability, transparency, and democratic governance in the PMO. Canadians deserve a government that is transparent and accountable, and that values the interests of the people above party politics. As Telford answers questions about foreign interference in Canadian elections, let’s hope that her testimony sheds light on the issue and helps to strengthen our democracy. (AI)

 

Posted in: Uncategorized Tagged: 2023-07, babysitting, Canada, China, foreign interference, infant, interference, Justin Trudeau, Katie Telford, Parliament

Friday March 3, 2023

March 3, 2023 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday March 3, 2023

Did foreigners interfere in Canada’s elections? Don’t expect politicians to sort it out

The best argument so far for an independent inquiry into foreign election interference in Canada has come from the least independent voices in this escalating furor — politicians and members of Parliament.

February 25, 2023

A hearing at a Commons committee on Wednesday vividly proved the point. National security discussions should come with a warning label — don’t try this at home. Or more accurately, don’t try this in the House.

It comes down simply to this: the question of whether foreign actors have been meddling in Canadian elections is simply too important to be litigated by the people who were players in those elections, with vested interests. That goes for all the political parties: the governing Liberals and their opposition rivals.

Opposition parties are in fact on side with the idea of some independent inquiry, though Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre also wants MPs to continue their Commons committee investigation, such as it is right now.

“We cannot allow this affair to simply go up in smoke with a secret private investigation, it must be public so that Canadians know exactly what is going on,” Poilievre told reporters on Wednesday. “We cannot shut those parliamentary inquiries down with a promise that in two years there will be some report on a public inquiry.”

But if Wednesday’s Commons hearings were any indication, Canadians aren’t going to get many answers from the political arena. Justin Trudeau’s national security adviser, Jody Thomas, explained as much during her testimony.

January 16, 2020

“We cannot talk about national security information in a public forum,” said Jody Thomas, who stared down this committee with the same, flat, no-nonsense tone she brought to last fall’s public inquiry into the “freedom convoy.” Thomas said at those hearings that she was one of the influential advisers saying yes to a declaration of emergency on the convoy last winter. On Wednesday, she made clear she’s one of the people on the inside arguing against a wide-open public inquiry.

A lot of the back and forth between MPs, Thomas and other senior security officials testifying on Wednesday proved the national security adviser’s point. MPs — who do come from political parties — were gamely trying to get the security people to say how much political parties were in the loop about possible election threats in 2019 and 2022.

Sorry, the politicians were told — that’s top secret. (Though the officials did manage to reveal that the RCMP is not investigating any of the allegations surfacing in the media of late, which is significant.)

The problem with politicians looking into political interference is that they’re not the ones who need to be reassured that Canadian elections are free and fair. It’s the voting public, and the news on that right now is not good.

November 24, 2020

An Angus Reid poll released this week showed that a disturbing two-thirds of Canadians believed that China either definitely or probably tried to influence the past two elections in Canada. An even more disturbing 42 per cent of past Conservative voters were inclined to believe the elections had been “stolen.” Sound familiar?

That means that the horse is already out of the barn on this one. Reassurances from the Liberal government will just feed the cynicism of non-Liberal voters, while opposition’s continuing attempts to cry foul could make those parties sound like they have an axe to grind — a pox on all their houses, in other words.

The opposition leaders are right to ask that their parties have a voice in determining the shape of any future inquiry. In the past, I’ve been told, no election-reform legislation proceeded without broad agreement between all the parties.

That may have been a myth, I haven’t tested that against the long historical record. But it seems the point is wise. On something as important as democracy and electoral legitimacy, you don’t want anyone saying that the ruling party put its thumb on the scale.

Trudeau continues to say that we have all the inquiries we need into electoral interference right now and they need to run their course. The current Commons committee hearings, with no offence to any of the MPs doing their questioning, is not going to be the final word — any more than the various parliamentary hearings into the convoy, which paled in comparison to Justice Paul Rouleau’s inquiry.

Trudeau’s next move should be to convene a meeting of all the opposition leaders, swear them to the highest levels of security clearance, and hammer out how they can get a grasp on this issue before the public gets any more cynical about the fairness of elections. That one gesture in itself would prove that the politicians are putting democracy over their partisan interests.

It would also, as a bonus, be enormously frustrating to whatever foreign actors are enjoying the current spectacle of Canadians questioning whether their democracy works. (The Toronto Star)

 

Posted in: Canada Tagged: 2023-04, Canada, China, Democracy, election, interference, Justin Trudeau, Pierre Poilievre, Printed in the Toronto Star, Punch and Judy, puppet, Xi Jinping

Thursday March 2, 2023

March 2, 2023 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday March 2, 2023

Trudeau slaps down questions about public inquiry into election meddling

February 25, 2023

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pushed back at questions Friday about calling a public inquiry into claims that Beijing interfered in Canada’s recent elections, telling reporters that the probes already underway are sufficient.

Trudeau is under pressure from his political opponents to launch an inquiry after media reports citing unnamed sources said the Chinese communist regime has co-opted some Canadian politicians. A Commons committee passed a motion Thursday in an attempt to compel the government to act.

Speaking to reporters at a child care announcement in Winnipeg, an animated Trudeau said his government has been seized with the issue of foreign interference for years and put in place a system to actively monitor meddling by China and other bad actors.

When asked why he won’t call an inquiry now, Trudeau said senior public servants working on the Critical Election Incident Public Protocol (CEIPP) already have reviewed the 2019 and 2021 campaigns and concluded that, while there was some Chinese interference, those actions did not compromise the final outcomes.

During the news conference, Trudeau appeared to be annoyed by reporters repeating questions about the calls for an inquiry.

February 20, 2021

Former senior public servant Morris Rosenberg released his review of the 2021 campaign earlier this week.

He found that the Government of Canada did not detect foreign interference that threatened Canada’s ability to hold free and fair elections in 2019 and 2021. He also offered a series of recommendations meant to prevent foreign interference in the future.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has said the Rosenberg report isn’t credible because Rosenberg previously held a role with the Trudeau Foundation, a non-profit named for the prime minister’s father. That foundation also received a $200,000 donation from an individual with ties to China’s government — money that was returned this week.

Trudeau said Friday the public service picked Rosenberg for the job — and his government had no role in the appointment.

T

December 5, 2017

rudeau also pointed out that the House of Commons procedure and House affairs committee is also in the midst of its own probe and the top-secret National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP), which was created by the Liberal government, is reviewing all of the intelligence about the 2021 vote.

“All of these processes are going on and demonstrate the seriousness with which this government and this country needs to take the question of foreign interference,” Trudeau said.

“Canadians can have confidence in our institutions, in our democracies and our ability to defend ourselves.” (CBC) 

 

Posted in: Canada, International Tagged: Canada, China, clone, committee, elections, elite, interference, Justin Trudeau, report
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This website contains satirical commentaries of current events going back several decades. Some readers may not share this sense of humour nor the opinions expressed by the artist. To understand editorial cartoons it is important to understand their effectiveness as a counterweight to power. It is presumed readers approach satire with a broad minded foundation and healthy knowledge of objective facts of the subjects depicted.

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