Jagmeet Singh accuses MPs of helping foreign governments

Photo: Patrick Doyle La Presse canadienne Le chef du Nouveau Parti démocratique du Canada, Jagmeet Singh, dévoilait les conclusions qu’il a tirées du rapport du Comité des parlementaires sur la sécurité nationale, dans le foyer de la Chambre des communes, jeudi, à Ottawa.

To everyone's surprise, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh claims that a “certain number” of federal MPs have definitely “knowingly helped” foreign governments.

Mr. Singh read the confidential version of the report of the Committee of Parliamentarians on National Security and Intelligence. The public version of the document, released last week, revealed that federal MPs had begun “knowingly assisting” foreign state actors, including by sending confidential information to Indian officials.

< p>The committee gave as an example “knowingly or willfully ignorantly accepting funds or benefits from foreign missions or their agents that have passed through multiple hands or are otherwise disguised to conceal the source.”

“After reading the report, I am more convinced than ever of the findings that certain parliamentarians voluntarily participated in the efforts of foreign states to interfere in our policies,” Mr. Singh said at a press briefing in Ottawa on Thursday .

Mr. Singh's conclusions completely contradict the version of the leader of the Green Party of Canada, Elizabeth May, who also read the report. Earlier this week, she said she was relieved after reading it, and added that the document did not contain any names of current MPs who have lacked loyalty to Canada.

Questioned several times, Mr. Singh did not want to explain why his version differs so much from that of Elizabeth May, repeating that he is “more worried than yesterday”.

“There are also politicians at all levels of government who have benefited from foreign interference. Some of this behavior seems absolutely criminal and should be the subject of prosecution,” denounced the NDP leader.

The latter did not reveal the names of the parliamentarians in question, but took the liberty of making several allusions to the Conservative caucus. “Pierre Poilievre doesn’t even want to know about the serious allegations affecting his party. This disqualifies him as a leader,” said Mr. Singh.

The Conservative Party leader did not attempt to obtain the necessary security clearance to able to read the full report, and he has still not committed to doing so.

Also read

• The federal government considers it unnecessary to specify whether or not a list of disloyal elected officials exists
• Canadian media targeted for foreign interference, report says
• It is up to Judge Hogue to reveal, or not, the list of parliamentarians suspected of interference

Disclosure of names

After reading the report, the NDP leader believes that it is necessary “to let people know Members” that these relations with foreign states will not be tolerated.

“If there are still no consequences for Members of Parliament who knowingly help foreign governments to act against Canadian interests, we will continue to be an easy target,” he said, arguing that there are ways to proceed without compromising national security.

As for the members of his own party, Mr. Singh says he does not believe that sanctions are necessary.

The Conservative Party and the Bloc Québécois demand that the government reveals these names. Under pressure since last week's revelations, the government finally agreed to let Quebec Court of Appeal judge Marie-Josée Hogue decide on the relevance of making public the identity of parliamentarians suspected of foreign interference.