Evidence of meeting #72 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was campaign.
A video is available from Parliament.
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Would you agree that having timely, open and full access and transparency as they relate to documents, in instances, of course, relating to national security, would help the commission provide the best framework to address the issues that have been raised?
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
You mentioned the decades of work you've had, and you referenced your party but alluded to other parties. Would you also agree that there could be revisions or alternatives to the ways in which nomination processes happen to ensure that we're safeguarded against foreign interference as it relates to the mobilization for memberships and candidates?
As an Individual
As I said, I think every party handles nominations differently. I don't know what the NDP has. The Liberals have a free membership system.
As an Individual
I think Elections Canada already has a process that political parties have to follow. If political parties are afraid that there is foreign influence within their nominations, like what's happened with the Liberal Party, then I think they must do things to—
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
As it relates to NSICOP and NSIRA, do you think they're adequate bodies for dealing with this, given that we had them but we're still here?
As an Individual
Listen, the fact of the matter is that NSICOP provided a report for the Prime Minister leading into the 2019 campaign and it was ignored. I'm not going to comment—
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Would you concur, then, that there should be a mechanism whereby those reports also come to the House?
NDP
Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Do you think there should be legislative processes to ensure that MPs targeted for foreign interference are made aware in a timely way that the interference is happening?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bardish Chagger
Thank you.
Ms. Byrne, if you would indulge us, could we ask for a maximum of 10 extra minutes of your time, past the hour?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bardish Chagger
That way we can give Mr. Cooper his five minutes and complete this round, and then have Mr. Gerretsen. Then we'll thank you for your time.
Mr. Cooper, go ahead.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
Thank you, Madam Chair.
In July 2021, CSIS had a report detailing how a diplomat, Zhao Wei, at the Toronto consulate had orchestrated an intimidation campaign against a sitting member of Parliament, Michael Chong. We know the report was provided to the national security adviser at PCO as well as to the relevant departments. We also know, according to the Prime Minister's chief of staff and the Prime Minister's national security adviser, that the Prime Minister is routinely briefed on national security matters. According to his chief of staff, Ms. Telford, he reads everything and nothing is held back, yet in the face of that, the Prime Minister wants Canadians to believe that he learned about this in The Globe and Mail, something that couldn't be more serious, as we're talking about a foreign hostile state and an accredited diplomat targeting a sitting member of Parliament to interfere in his ability to do his job on behalf of his constituents and on behalf of Canadians.
In the face of that, it's very difficult to believe what the Prime Minister is saying and even if he is being truthful. I have real doubts about that. It speaks to his lack of seriousness with respect to foreign interference and is an indictment either way. We need to get to the bottom of that. I put forward a motion at committee today to do just that.
It is my understanding that within the Prime Minister's Office, there is an extensive tracking system for sensitive documents. As someone who has worked in the Prime Minister's Office in senior positions, can you tell us how documents are tracked within the Prime Minister's Office?
As an Individual
Within the Prime Minister's Office, the PCO is the traffic cop, so to speak, of documents that would go to the Prime Minister. These tracking sheets are actually very extensive, from what I remember. They not only indicate that they go to the Prime Minister, but indicate every official they go to on the bureaucratic side, depending on the department. They also track, obviously, which agencies they would go to and what political staff they would go to.
These would be available, and it would be very simple for the Prime Minister to direct the PCO to make public that tracking document to find out where this mysterious briefing note went and who it was delivered to. Tracking notes, from what I gather and from what I remember, are not top secret or classified documents.
If the Prime Minister and the government were truly open to figuring out where this tracking note somehow got lost in delivery, it would be very easy to find out which officials, which security agencies and which political staff received it.
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
Thank you for that.
Ms. Byrne, in the motion I put forward, at paragraph (e), there is an order for production that provides that within one week, the distribution of that document within the Prime Minister's Office, the PCO, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, and the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness be provided to this committee.
Do you think that's a reasonable request? Is that something that could easily be handled?
Conservative
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
Thank you for that.
I'm changing gears a bit. Just to be clear, you did not deal with the SITE task force on behalf of the Conservative Party in the 2021 election. Is that correct?
Conservative