Evidence of meeting #134 for Public Safety and National Security 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.
Liberal
NDP
Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Mayor Brown, I'd like to echo the comments of my colleagues and thank you for being here with us today.
I appreciate your comment that you sincerely believe the results of the leadership race were not affected by foreign interference. I think our committee's main concern is the inference that the attempt was even made in the first place.
As you know, there was a reference in the NSICOP report. We also know CBC/Radio-Canada spoke to five anonymous sources from your campaign who individually and separately provided specific examples of how the Indian government was pressuring members of your campaign to not sell memberships, to make sure you weren't invited to specific events. Now, I've never been in a leadership campaign myself, but I have been through three elections. Generally, staff try to insulate the candidate from the inner workings of a campaign office, but if something is going wrong, as a candidate you can always kind of sense it.
We have allegations from five anonymous sources who were part of your leadership campaign, and they have provided specific examples. As a candidate, could you ever corroborate them? Were you ever aware there was an undercurrent of inappropriate pressure being applied by agents of the Indian government?
December 5th, 2024 / 4:20 p.m.
Mayor of Brampton, As an Individual
If you want to ask me about any aspects of that article, I could do my best to answer honestly.
NDP
Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
Okay.
What about the pressure to not sell memberships? Can you comment on that?
Mayor of Brampton, As an Individual
A lot of what I heard was indirect, and I don't think it's fair to repeat hearsay, but in some limited examples I would hear directly that it was.... I'm not sure you would use the words “foreign intervention”; it would be more.... Right now, as to the whole discussion of what is appropriate and inappropriate for a consul general, I think that assessment is still being determined. One example would be the consul general saying, “Did you see what your friend did? He was at Deep Sidhu's vigil. How can you explain that?” It would be more about posing questions to highlight why they did not support the positions I had taken.
I will note, given the case of the Deep Sidhu vigil, that I attend every vigil in my city that occurs at city hall. When there is grief an grieving in the community, I try to share in that sorrow.
NDP
Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
Your campaign was ultimately disqualified before you had the ability to get to a vote to be on the ballot as a candidate. Would you have any reason to believe the Indian government was in any way involved with the disqualification?
NDP
Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
Michelle Rempel Garner, who is a current serving member of Parliament, was the co-chair of your campaign. Is that correct?
NDP
Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
Do you know, or are you able to inform this committee, why she suddenly departed?
Mayor of Brampton, As an Individual
I read in a CBC article that she departed because of foreign intervention. I don't believe that was the case. When I spoke to Michelle directly, she was very clear with me that she was departing to run for the provincial leadership to replace Jason Kenney. At no time when we talked about her departing the campaign did she ever say it was because of pressure from the consul general.
I think this is rooted from much earlier, not when she left, but it would have been.... This is a long time ago. This is 2022. I'm swamped with work and events, so I don't remember the exact dates correctly, but we had a conference call that would have been four, five or six weeks prior to that. There was concern from MP Rempel Garner about some of the language I was using at the doors and in the membership drives. There was concern from, I believe, the consulate general directly to the MP that I used the words “Sikh nation”, so we had a conference call on how to deal with that concern instead of using—
NDP
Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
I'm sorry to cut you off, but time is short, as you are very well aware.
NDP
Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
Mayor Brown, you're a leader in your community, obviously. If the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the representatives of the federal government were to offer you the clearance necessary to receive a briefing, as a leader in your community would you take it to better serve your community and be better aware of the potential threats that might be posed there?
Mayor of Brampton, As an Individual
Well, I do get an annual briefing from CSIS. They offer that to big city mayors. I have taken those briefings.
NDP
Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
Above and beyond that, I mean the clearance necessary to take a deep dive.
Mayor of Brampton, As an Individual
I would accept that clearance and would welcome any additional information.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Iqwinder Gaheer
Thank you.
We will move on to the second round.
Mr. Lloyd, you have five minutes.
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
Thank you, Mayor Brown, for being here today.
I think the statement you gave before this committee and again today really speaks for itself, but I want confirmation. Given the partisan nature of this committee, do you believe the Justice Hogue commission, which has access to all the confidential information available, is really the appropriate forum to be dealing with the kinds of questions we might have here today?
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
You stated in your written statement that was sent out that you have not been contacted by Justice Hogue or the commission. Does that continue to be the case to this day?
Mayor of Brampton, As an Individual
Yes. I have not been contacted by the commission.
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
Given that Justice Hogue and the commission have access to all of these top secret confidential documents, they know what the NSICOP report said and they didn't deem it necessary to invite you to the commission, seek your feedback or even summon you, as in the case of your committee, do you think you have any evidence that you feel will advance our study?
Mayor of Brampton, As an Individual
I think that's a question you would have to ask the commissioner—why they didn't ask for my testimony—but as I said, I don't believe I have any personal evidence to add and nothing new that's not already in the public domain.