A commission set by Canada to inquire extent of various countries interfere in Canada’s election or parliament has finally released its report after 15 months of investigation and hearing from over 60 experts and diaspora members. The report details which countries have interfered in elections, how they interfere, and how much of that interference has impacted and changed Canadian election results and parliament.
India has emerged as the second most active country to engage in Canada’s elections after China.
India has been mentioned specifically on various occasions in the report. The Commission also heard testimonies on India’s role in repressing diaspora voices which is known as “transnational repression.” The specific case was that of assassination of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar is mentioned the report. However, Hogue said, it was not in depth examination. “My terms of reference did not allow for an in-depth study of transnational repression in Canada. Thus, the work that the Commission did in this respect likely only scratched the surface of this phenomenon.”
The report by Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue mentions that foreign interference is increasing in Canada, however, no evidence suggests Canadian institutions have been seriously impacted by any foreign interference or that parliamentarians owe their successful election to foreign entities. “Nor have I seen any evidence of “traitors” in Parliament plotting with foreign states to act against Canada,” she said. “Canadian institutions have held up well and remained robust in the face of attempted foreign interference.”
Hogue’s report mentions a number of countries or “threat actors” that targeting Canada including China as “most active” followed by India, Russia, Pakistan and Iran. The report states, “India is the second most active country engaging in electoral foreign interference in Canada.”
India is a critical actor on the world stage. Canada and India have worked together for decades, but there are challenges in the relationship. Many of these are long standing and inform India’s foreign interference activities. India perceives Canada as not taking India’s national security concerns about Khalistani separatism (the goal of an independent Sikh homeland in northern India called “Khalistan”) sufficiently seriously.
The report details, “India focuses its foreign interference activities on the Indo-Canadian community and on prominent non-Indo-Canadians to achieve its objectives. This interference has targeted all levels of government. Like the PRC (China), India conducts foreign interference through diplomatic officials in Canada and through proxies. A body of intelligence indicates that proxy agents may have, and may continue to be, clandestinely providing illicit financial support to various Canadian politicians in an attempt to secure the election of pro-India candidates or gain influence over candidates who take office.”
But the intelligence does not necessarily indicate that the elected officials or candidates involved were aware of the interference attempts, or that the attempts necessarily succeeded. India also uses disinformation as a key form of foreign interference against Canada, a tactic likely to be used more often in the future.
The report also states India also uses disinformation as a key form of foreign interference against Canada, a tactic likely to be used more often in the future. “Disinformation is also used as a retaliatory tactic, to punish decisions that run contrary to a state’s interests. This may have been the case with a disinformation campaign that followed the Prime Minister’s announcement regarding suspected Indian involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar (though again no definitive link to a foreign state could be proven),” the report states.
Pakistan’s foreign interference activities are opportunistic and relate to the poor relationship between Pakistan and India. Pakistan engages in foreign interference in Canada to promote stability in Pakistan and to counter India’s growing influence. Its activities target various facets of Canadian society and all levels of government. “For now, Pakistan is more likely to rely on local community elements, rather than cyber measures or artificial intelligence, to facilitate its foreign interference.”
The Commission also heard testimony about allegations of Government of India interference into a Conservative Party leadership race. “CSIS witnesses noted that they had no reason to believe the impacted candidates would have been aware of the alleged support. They also noted that, while they were concerning, not all of India’s activities in this matter were covert. CSIS witnesses had no recollection of this intelligence being briefed to the political level, including the candidates themselves.”
The report, apart from electoral interference also discussed, transnational repression which is when foreign governments reach beyond their borders to harm diaspora and exile communities.
“India’s activities primarily target the approximately 800,000 members of the Sikh diaspora in Canada and aim to promote a pro-India and anti-Khalistan narrative. The RCMP’s statement in October 2024, on violent criminal activity in Canada, including homicides and extortion, with connections to agents of the Government of India, is consistent with the classified evidence. Further, the national security and intelligence community assesses India as an emerging cyber threat actor,” the report mentions.
The Commission carried out its work in two phases. In the first phase, it examined and assessed foreign interference by foreign state and non-state actors and its potential repercussions on the integrity of the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. The Commission released an initial report on this in May 2024.
In the second phase of its work, the Commission examined and assessed the government’s capacity to detect, deter and counter foreign interference directly or indirectly targeting Canada’s democratic processes.
The Commission held 39 days of public hearings and 18 days of in camera hearings, during which it heard evidence from over 100 witnesses, including political party representatives, Members of Parliament, the most senior ranks of the public service, Cabinet Ministers, and the Prime Minister. Many witnesses appeared multiple times.
The Commission also heard from over 60 experts and diaspora members during a series of panels and policy round tables, and conducted extensive public consultations.
The Commission examined tens of thousands of documents disclosed by the government, the vast majority of which were classified.
“We have conducted a thorough and rigorous examination of foreign interference in Canada’s electoral processes and democratic institutions,” said Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue. “I believe that our investigation has enabled a better public understanding of foreign interference in Canada, and how the government attempts to counter it. The investigation has helped to identify what the government has done well, what it has not done well, and how it can do better in the future.”
The Commission’s report contains 51 recommendations.
The Commission found that foreign interference is not new, but that it is increasing and the means and methods are changing. The Government of Canada responded to attempts at interference by putting in place numerous measures and mechanisms to better detect, prevent and counter them; however, the government sometimes took too long to act, and coordination was less than optimal. In some cases, the processes by which information was communicated to decision-makers, including elected officials, were flawed. The Commission also found that the government has been a poor communicator both about the extent of foreign interference that it detected and the means in place to counter it, and that it must find ways to be more transparent.
“Thus far – and this is one of my most important observations – Canada’s democratic institutions have held up well and remained robust in the face of attempted foreign interference,” said Commissioner Hogue. “That said, foreign interference will never be completely eradicated, and it will always be necessary to be vigilant and fight against it. Democracies around the world are under attack from all sides, and the technological resources available to malicious actors are multiplying. All of us who live in Canada must confront these challenges, together.”
Among the Commission’s recommendations are several that do not require legislative change and could be put in place before the next federal election. The Commission has recommended that the government report to Parliament within one year on its progress in implementing its recommendations.