Canada tells of China-linked ‘spamouflage’ blitz on MPs’ social media
GuardianOct 14, 2023
Canadian Inquiry: Trudeau Cabinet Warned of Foreign Interference in 2022
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Above: Justin Trudeau, Canada's prime minister, during a news conference at a cabinet retreat in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, on Monday, Aug. 26, 2024. Image copyright: Dean Casavechia/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Facts
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government was made aware of "hostile activity by state actors" (HASA) toward the country over two years ago, according to Canada's foreign interference inquiry hearing on Monday.
A summary letter of a Memorandum to Cabinet (MC) released by the inquiry shows that the government was told in May 2022 that HASA was "one of the greatest threats to Canada's national security" and had witnessed "an increase in both volume and complexity of such threats in recent years."
The Spin
Right narrative
Trudeau, his government, and the public inquiry have long known critical details concerning foreign election interference and yet continue to suppress this information to the public. Despite the demands of the Canadian people, Trudeau and his Liberal political class remain shielded from taking any responsibility for the continued erosion of the country's democratic framework.
Left narrative
While it is up to the government to get a grip on the issue at hand, Pierre Poilievre's deafening silence on a matter of such national importance speaks volumes about the opposition leader's capacity to lead. The Conservative's abnormal refusal to critique Trudeau and the Liberal Party in their customary abrasive fashion raises suspicion over the party's own role in allegations of foreign interference.
Pro-China narrative
Canada's accusations of election interference are baseless and desperate. Canada's claims are ideologically motivated and intentionally misleading in order to distract from its own hypocritical attempts to influence Chinese domestic affairs in areas such as Taiwan and Hong Kong.
