Trudeau’s Negligence: A Threat to Canadian Democracy

Alshaar Ansari
Alshaar Ansari News Politics
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Justice Marie-Josée Hogue’s revelations from her public inquiry into foreign interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections have brought out the Trudeau government’s shocking nonchalance to the serious threat posed by Beijing organized interference. Despite consistent warnings by Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), the extent of China’s subversive activities has been repeatedly dismissed, denied or downplayed by the Trudeau government, putting its political interests ahead of Canada’s democratic process.

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The most worrying thing is that during this inquiry itself, which now confirms CSIS findings, the Trudeau government went to great lengths in order to obstruct and filibuster it. The prime minister, his chief of staff and liberal campaign director have all done everything possible to discredit CSIS assessments thereby casting aspersions on reliability and accuracy of extensive intelligence agency evidence.

This further underscores Trudeau government’s negligence in “forcefully and actively responding” to the foreign interference threat as constantly appealed by CSIS. Instead, they have maintained a stance of indifference such that Beijing’s subversive acts continue unabated while seriously undermining Canadian democracy.

The Hogue Inquiry hearings and submissions create a chilling portrait of political leadership that cares more for partisan advantage than for cherished principles like free and fair elections. Recent revelations about Chinese interference specifically funding Mandarin-bloc ‘threat actors’ as well as targeting specific politicians indicate that we must act now to protect our democratic system in Canada.

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As starkly indicated through the Hogue Inquiry; failure by Trudeau administration so far has made Canada vulnerable to manipulation by autocrat regimes after ignoring previous alerts from their own security unit. The time need be when Ottawa shows real commitment towards safeguarding Canadian democracy or else such threats will persist undermining our nation forevermore.

Moreover, there are also concerns over Trudeau Government’s disregard for warnings issued by CSIS within this period and the security agency has long cautioned against foreign interference. Back in 2010, CSIS director Richard Fadden publicly warned that Beijing had managed to sway cabinet ministers from two provinces as well as several city councilors but Fadden was rebuked by Liberals and NDP for his truthfulness.

Even further back than this, according to a 2018 report on “National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians,” Canada has become an “attractive and permissive target” for Beijing’s interference operations which threaten the “foundations of our fundamental institutions, including our system of democracy itself.” Nonetheless, the Trudeau government has not taken any meaningful steps to counter this threat, even though their Five Eyes counterparts have implemented stronger measures to protect their democratic processes.

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It is clear from CSIS assessments, independent investigations and open-source evidence that Beijing’s interference during 2019-2021 were mainly designed at preventing loss to Conservatives thereby leaving Trudeau-Government as a minority. This implies an alarming convergence between Trudeau-Government political interests and its neglect towards foreign interference threats.

Also, the Hogue inquiry has exposed events which have shown that China’s efforts are shameless which include their financing of a “group of known and suspected” Mandarin-bloc “threat actors” in the Greater Toronto Area to “covertly advance PRC interests though Canadian democratic institutions.” The operation aimed at Conservative shadow foreign minister Michael Chong and his family was so bad that Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly eventually expelled a Chinese Ministry of State Security operative from the Toronto consulate.

A post we did share in our YouTube channel’s community section, where we queried the Canadians on their thoughts on Justin Trudeau’s leadership.
You can also Join the conversation on our Scoop Canada YouTube Channel! share your thoughts here and make your voice heard!

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Despite overwhelming evidence, the Trudeau government has continued trying to discredit CSIS findings including senior cabinet minister Dominic Leblanc who even cast doubt on the agency’s ability to discern “the shifting partisan preferences” of the Chinese government. This dismissive approach towards Canada’s premier intelligence agency warnings is a worrying sign that indicates that Trudeau Government focuses on wrong things.

The Hogue inquiry also showed how different Canada’s response was compared to its Five Eyes counterparts. While the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand have done much to counter foreign interference, Canada has been slow off the mark in this regard, something CSIS has noticed. Inaction by Canada means it has become an “outlier” within Five Eyes intelligence-sharing arrangement thereby impeding its capacity to effectively combat these threats according to CSIS.

The consequences of this negligence are far-reaching and potentially catastrophic for Canada. By not heeding these warnings by CSIS and acting accordingly, our political leaders have left our democracy open to manipulation by autocratic regimes thus undermining our country’s very foundation. Our democracy itself is at risk with our elections at stake, stability of governance at risk while trust between citizens is compromised.

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Furthermore, refusing to face up to the gravity of the threat posed by Beijing and deal with it head-on represents a chilling message being sent across Canadians by Trudeau government. It shows political leadership more interested in retaining power than preserving democratic rights and freedoms that define our nation-state.

However, we cannot afford to be complacent any longer. The Hogue inquiry has made it clear that there is an urgent need for a comprehensive and coordinated response to foreign interference. This means that our intelligence agencies must be legally and legislatively empowered, our electoral processes must promote transparency and accountability, and the Canadian populace must be encouraged to embrace watchfulness as well as being resistant.

If we fail to act decisively today, not only will this encourage further meddling by authoritarian governments such as the Chinese, but it will also undermine public trust in the integrity of our democratic institutions. The Trudeau government must make a case for the sanctity of Canadian democracy or resign the country to becoming a “permissive target” for those who would like to subvert our way of life.

The threat of foreign interference as revealed through Hogue inquiry is neither partisan nor imaginary It constitutes an imminent danger against the very essence of our democratic system and hence calls for unified and determined action from political leadership regardless of partisan lines.

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Canadian people should have a government that gives priority to the preservation of our own democratic institutions before looking for short-term political benefits. They should have a government that listens when its intelligence agencies speak, responds firmly to alien intervention, and respects openness, accountability as well as the rule of law.

The ongoing nonchalance on part of Trudeau administration regarding the CSIS findings is a breach of public trust and dereliction of their duties in protecting our democratic heritage. It’s time for reckoning; it’s time for clarity where Trudeau government has to choose between preserving its own political interests or preserving the Canadian democratic system which they swore by.

The stakes are huge with the future existence of our country being at stake. The Hogue investigation report has been a cold shower to all those who had doubted whatever his opponents were saying about him. As such, it is imperative that Trudeau administration takes serious this report. Let us not forget that failure to adhere to these recommendations will compromise both the credibility of our electoral systems and cast doubt on whether our democracy should be referred to as such an institution. In addition, this will have far-reaching impacts on Canada’s social fabric.

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In view of this imminent catastrophe, Mr. Trudeau must face up to reality and show determination in charting a new path—one that puts Canadian democracy first before partisan politics. Only by doing so can we guarantee that basic human rights and freedoms—the bedrock upon which we define ourselves as members of one nation—will endure alongside generations yet unborn?

Last Updated on by Alshaar Ansari

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