OTTAWA (Reuters) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday some members of the official opposition Conservative Party could be involved in foreign interference and alleged the party was not taking the matter seriously.
Trudeau made his remarks to an independent commission probing foreign interference in Canadian politics. Polls show the Conservatives would easily beat Trudeau’s Liberals in the next election, which must be held by end-October 2025.
The probe has already heard evidence that China and other nations tried to meddle in Canadian politics. Beijing consistently denies this is the case.
“I have the names of a number of parliamentarians, former parliamentarians and or candidates in the Conservative Party … who are engaged, or are at high risk of, or for whom there is clear intelligence around foreign interference,” Trudeau said.
A few seconds later he appeared to temper his comments, saying the intelligence about Conservative activities could be “shoddy or incomplete or just allegations from a single source”.
He did not give further details.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has declined to apply for the security clearance needed to read all the intelligence uncovered by the probe, on the grounds this would prevent him from commenting on the public proceedings.
Trudeau said he had asked the Canadian Security Intelligence Service spy agency to warn Poilievre about Conservative members who could be vulnerable.
Poilievre’s decision not to get clearance for classified briefings was “bewildering to me and entirely lacks common sense,” Trudeau said.
In a statement, Poilievre accused Trudeau of lying.
“My chief of staff has received classified briefings from the government. At no time has the government told me or my chief of staff of any current or former Conservative parliamentarian or candidate knowingly participating in foreign interference,” he said.
Canada kicked out six Indian diplomats on Monday, linking them to the murder of a Sikh separatist leader and alleging a broader effort to target Indian dissidents in Canada. India retaliated by telling six Canadian diplomats to leave.
