Looming federal byelections will get ‘enhanced’ interference monitoring

The federal government is tightening its foreign election interference monitoring for four byelections set for next month.

Ottawa announced Tuesday that the June 19 byelections in Manitoba’s Portage—Lisgar and Winnipeg South Centre, Ontario’s Oxford and Quebec’s Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, will have “enhanced” surveillance for threats during the campaigns.

The federal government has been under fire for months over its handling of reported Chinese interference in Canadian elections and society. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been under pressure to call a public inquiry but put that task to David Johnston, who, as a special rapporteur, will decide by May 23 whether one is needed.

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“The Security and Intelligence Threats (SITE) Task Force will provide enhanced monitoring and assessing of foreign interference threats during the by-election period. These assessments will be provided to the Deputy Minister Committee on Intelligence Response, which will stand ready to brief and advise ministers with mandates to combat foreign interference and protect Canada’s democratic institutions,” Ottawa said in a news release.

“Lines of communications will also be opened with designated representatives of political parties to ensure engagement should it become necessary over the course of the byelection period.”

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Ottawa added that SITE will also produce both a classified and an unclassified report a day after the vote. It will include the group’s assessment of any attempts at foreign interference identified during the byelections.

The classified report will be made available to Trudeau and relevant ministers, as well as to Johnston, the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians and identified party representatives with appropriate security clearances.