The recent statement of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dismissed concerns by his opposers about foreign interference in 2019 and 2021 election. This view, implied by Trudeau, meant that these arguments were merely a case of sour grapes from the losers, conservatives.

However, it is essential to dig deeper into the issue in order to study comprehensively and analyze in detail what are those several aspects not covered by his statement.
Trudeau’s claim that no riding was impacted and the integrity of elections remained intact tends to downplay the effect of foreign interference without any factual basis.
It is true that there has been no concrete evidence to prove wide-scale tampering with election outcomes but it is important to acknowledge that the objective of this investigation was to understand how national or electoral district level interventions may have occurred due to foreign intervention. By dismissing these objections too early, Mr Trudeau could not address this wider problem more fully and reassure people.

Moreover, Trudeau’s indifference towards whether or not any constituency can be affected by external interference on factors such as voting raises serious questions regarding Liberal government’s threshold for acceptable intrusion.
An example from former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole revealed that even if foreign influence did not swing overall election results, it might have impacted on individual ridings. This brings up issues concerning impartiality in conducting elections as well as protection of democratic rights.

The fact that Trudeau fails to admit any level of significance attached to foreign interference in Canadian democracy is worrisome. Reflecting on an assertion made by O’Toole who rightly said; “if one person feels intimidated voting because they’re scared,” which implies a standard that should also be applicable for Trudeau.
Wherein overlooking possible consequences on individual voters resulted in him ignoring its seriousness and subsequently making Canadians feel less confident about their democratic rights being protected.
For instance, Trudeau’s attempt to trivialize genuine concerns about foreign interference and him misrepresents the stance of conservatives on the matter raises doubts about his commitment to maintaining Canada’s democratic process’ integrity. A better approach would have been an extensive analysis of the matter with a real effort towards addressing possible vulnerabilities.
Protecting democratic rights of all Canadians and preventing any form of undue influence in electoral processes are vital. By dealing with these issues more comprehensively, Trudeau can inspire confidence within the democratic system and show that he respects the integrity of Canada’s elections.
Last Updated on by Alshaar Ansari