Former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu said the Liberal government is still in denial about foreign interference in Canadian elections.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently responded to a question about allegedly receiving more election interference briefings from law enforcement in 2021 than the former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole.
“The Conservatives continue to try and play partisan games with the facts and the issues before us that are very, very serious,” said Trudeau.
He added that independent panels have submitted reports showing the election’s integrity was upheld. Trudeau said he would trust the commission and looked forward to participating next week. He believes the commission’s reports will “reaffirm the integrity of those elections but also make important recommendations… to keep our elections safe and our democratic institutions safe for the future.”
During his testimony at Canada’s inquiry into foreign interference, O’Toole reported that his party fell victim to an extensive misinformation campaign masterminded by China and its affiliates, resulting in the defeat of as many as nine candidates in the 2021 election.
Chiu, appearing on the Andrew Lawton Show on Thursday, said that Trudeau’s inability to recognize election interference is a problem that sends two messages.
“The government seems to be still in denial mode,” said Chiu.
Firstly, he said this type of response tells Canadians not to be concerned about election interference. Secondly, Chiu added that it sends a message to hostile nations, such as Russia, Iran, and China, who may have an interest in harming Canada, that “we’re still burying our heads in the sand… So come and exploit our people in any way that you can.”
True North previously reported that Chiu accused the Chinese Communist Party of targeting him with a disinformation campaign that was a factor in him losing his 2021 riding of Steveston—Richmond East.
Chiu said he felt a deep sense of vindication with the recent support he’s received about his allegations that surfaced years prior.
“In 2021, I wasn’t hallucinating. I wasn’t daydreaming, or like, Jeniffer O’Connell, the Liberal MP, said that I’m being Donald Trump,” said Chiu.
He explained that some demographics of Canada’s population are very segregated in how they receive information. For example, if Vladimir Putin wanted to control Canada’s Russian population, which doesn’t speak English or French, Chiu said that it would be a simple task.
“All they have to do is buy out the media… and then pump this information to these diaspora communities that use Russian social media. This is what I observe to be the case in Canada. And it’s still ongoing,” he said.
Chiu said the media platforms that cater to these segregated communities, such as WeChat and other popular Chinese social media, are not monitored and have controlled messaging from the authoritarian regime.
Summoning the President or CEO of Facebook to testify would be easy enough, said Chiu. However, trying to do a similar task with TikTok or its mother company would be unlikely.
Chiu explained that Canada has fallen behind when it comes to tackling these issues.
“Compared to other Western democracies that have done something substantial to safeguard their democracies and national sovereignty, Canada has done barely anything,” he said.
The former Conservative MP previously tabled a private member’s bill in the House of Commons to create a public registry for anyone working with hostile regimes. The bill was defeated.
“It’s a dog-eat-dog world. It’s very cruel. We must safeguard our citizens,” said Chiu.
He proposed that Canada’s easiest way forward would be establishing a foreign influence transparency scheme, similar to what Australia has implemented. Chiu added that certified fact-checkers could monitor media in their native language during elections to ensure diaspora communities are not overrun with misinformation.
Such was the case in 2021 when Chinese-language social media labelled Chiu as a “race traitor” and white supremacist supporter, leading some to believe he was anti-China.
Canada should consult with Taiwan, which has been at the forefront of an infowar with China, said Chiu.
“They have garnered tremendous amounts of experience and ideas, and I’m sure they are more than willing to share with us.”