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Context: House Hansard - 138 - Nov/30/22

Mr. Michael Cooper (St. Albert—Edmonton, CPC)

Nov/30/22 2:56:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have a specific question for the Prime Minister. It is not about money from China. It is not about the government's election panels. It is not about the overall integrity of the last two elections. It is specifically about whether the Prime Minister was ever briefed about interference by Beijing involving any candidates or riding associations. Was he briefed?

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Context: House Hansard - 138 - Nov/30/22

Mr. Michael Cooper (St. Albert—Edmonton, CPC)

Nov/30/22 6:59:29 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, CSIS advised the Prime Minister that when it comes to foreign interference, the policy of the government should be grounded in transparency and sunlight, and that foreign interference should be exposed to the public. When it comes to Beijing's interference in our elections, the Prime Minister has been anything but transparent. Let us look at the facts. On November 7, Global News reported that last January, the Prime Minister was briefed about a vast campaign of interference by Beijing in the 2019 election directed by Beijing's Toronto consulate involving 11 candidates. For two weeks, Conservatives asked the government what the Prime Minister did with that information. Did he report it to Elections Canada, to law enforcement, or did he sit on his hands and cover it up? For two weeks our questions were met with silence by the Prime Minister. Suddenly, after two weeks, the Prime Minister broke his silence and essentially said “nothing to see here as it pertains to me,” claiming that he was not briefed, but using very carefully chosen words that he was not briefed about candidates receiving money from China. That is not what Global News reported on November 7 that the Prime Minister was briefed about. The Prime Minister was reportedly briefed about a vast campaign of interference by Beijing, directed by the Toronto consulate. It was reported that those candidates received money but, again, it was never alleged that that money directly came from China, that a cheque was written from China to 11 candidates. It was telling yesterday when the Leader of the Opposition asked a pertinent question of the Prime Minister: Was he briefed about electoral interference by Beijing? Not once, not twice but on five occasions, the Prime Minister refused to answer. Today I asked the Prime Minister whether he had been briefed about electoral interference by Beijing specifically involving any candidates. Again, the report pertains to 11 candidates and a vast campaign of interference. Again, there was no answer from the Prime Minister. What we have is the opposite of transparency. We have a smokescreen from the Prime Minister, a prime minister who is answering questions no one is asking, denying allegations no one is making, all while avoiding answering the question that needs to be answered, namely, was the Prime Minister briefed about electoral interference by Beijing? Specifically, was the Prime Minister briefed about electoral interference by Beijing involving candidates? I ask again, was he, yes or no?

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Context: House Hansard - 138 - Nov/30/22

Mr. Michael Cooper

Nov/30/22 7:06:28 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, no one is questioning the overall integrity of the last two elections. That is not the issue. There is a specific report of specific interference involving 11 candidates, and it was further reported that the Prime Minister was briefed about that interference. It is important that the Prime Minister be transparent. That was the advice he had received from CSIS. I do not understand why the parliamentary secretary is unwilling to answer that very straightforward question, so I will ask it again. Was the Prime Minister briefed about electoral interference by Beijing last January, and specifically in respect of candidates?

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