Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday (October 16) suggested that certain members of the Conservative Party, the official opposition, may be involved in foreign interference and claimed that the party is not addressing the issue with the seriousness it deserves.
“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,” he said.
Moments later, he seemed to soften his remarks, suggesting that the information regarding Conservative activities might be “poorly sourced, lacking, or simply claims from one source.”
He did not provide additional information.
When and Where Did Justin Trudeau Make These Comments?
Trudeau made these comments during an independent commission’s investigation into foreign interference in Canadian politics Interestingly, current polls indicate that the Conservatives are likely to outperform Trudeau’s Liberals in the upcoming election, which has to take place by the end of October 2025.
The probe has already received testimony indicating that China and several other countries have attempted to interfere in Canadian politics. Beijing, however,has repeatedly denied these claims.
Trudeau Comments On The Pierre Poilievre Controversy
Meanwhile, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has chosen not to seek the security clearance required to access all the intelligence revealed by the investigation. He feels this would limit his ability to discuss public hearings. Trudeau mentioned that he had urged the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to inform Poilievre about Conservative members who might be at risk.
Trudeau described Poilievre’s choice to forgo clearance for classified briefings as “bewildering and completely unreasonable.” Representatives for Poilievre were unavailable for immediate comment.
This comes days after Canada expelled six Indian diplomats in connection with the murder of a Sikh separatist leader. Canada further alleged that there was a larger effort to target Indian dissidents in the country. In response, India ordered six Canadian diplomats to leave .
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