Are the Liberal leadership rules enough to mitigate foreign interference? – National

The Liberal party has set new rules on who can vote in the leadership race. But some experts say it might not be enough to mitigate fears of foreign interference.

The party’s national board of directors met Thursday evening to decide on the initial rules of the Liberal leadership contest that will choose Trudeau’s successor.

According to a press release from the Liberal party, the voting will conclude on March 9 and the new leader — and by extension, prime minister — will be announced on the same day.

The cutoff date to become a member or registered supporter and be eligible to vote is Jan. 27.

The board also updated the requirements for who can vote in this leadership contest. Eligible voters must:

• be at least 14 years of age
• support the purposes of the party
• be a Canadian citizen, have status under the Indian Act, or be a permanent resident of Canada
• not be a member of any other federal political party in Canada; and
• while registered as a Liberal, not have publicly declared an intention to be a candidate for election to the House of Commons other than as a candidate of the party

Previously, one did not need to be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada to be able to vote.

The new rules have added that requirement, but aren’t easing concerns just yet.

Dennis Molinaro, a professor at Ontario Tech University and former security analyst with the federal government, said that “leadership races are extremely vulnerable to foreign interference attempts, especially as these rules for the leadership contest are currently set by the political parties themselves.”

He said the party’s old way of electing a leader was “terrible” since it left the door open for foreign agents who might try to influence the leadership race with the least resistance.

The changes, he said, are welcome but not enough.

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“The Liberals’ change to require citizenship or permanent resident status for voting in a nomination vote is a positive step and at least puts them on a similar footing as the other parties. However, as I have maintained, it is still insufficient in the long run unless there is a verifiable way to check and confirm citizenship,” he said.

Molinaro…