Fewer than a third of all current MPs in the House of Commons were willing to go on record and say they were not involved in foreign interference.
Prompted by allegations from the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians that certain MPs wittingly collaborated with foreign governments, True North emailed all 334 MPs and 105 senators asking if they could deny involvement in foreign interference.
MPs and senators were presented with two questions:
- Have they ever knowingly assisted a foreign government in foreign interference activities?
- Can they confidently confirm to Canadians that they were not one of the MPs referenced in the NSICOP report?
A total of 107 MPs and 10 senators replied. The vast majority were Conservatives. All who replied answered “No” to the first question and “Yes” to the second, denying involvement in foreign interference.
Most Conservative MPs, 99 out of 118, responded to True North’s requests and all of them denied involvement in foreign interference. Some of them, such as Conservative MP and foreign affairs critic Michael Chong, were targets of foreign interference themselves.
“I am mentioned in the redacted version of the NSICOP report, but as a target of foreign interference threat activities. I can confidently confirm that I am not one of the witting MPs referred to in the report who engaged in foreign reference activities with a foreign state,” said Chong.
Just one New Democrat MP, Alistair MacGregor, replied. Five Liberal MPs, including former House speaker Anthony Rota, answered the questions. No Bloc Quebecois or Green party MPs responded. Of the three independent members of Parliament, only Kevin Vuong responded.
A lack of response by individuals does not indicate admission to nefarious activities, but parliamentarians were told that non-responses would be reported on. Additionally, members of NSICOP were bound by their commitments and therefore could not reply to inquiries.
They included MPs David McGuinty (Lib.), Darren Fisher (Lib.), Patricia Lattanzio (Lib.), Rob Morrison (Con.), Alex Ruff (Con.), Stephane Bergeron (BQ), Don Davies (NDP) and senators Frances Lankin, Patricia Duncan, Marty Klyne.
Liberal MP Leah Taylor Roy was one of six Liberal MPs who responded to True North’s inquiry. However, she replied with a statement and did not respond to the specific questions posed about foreign interference.
“I am responding to your email but I think it is inappropriate to list those who do not respond as it could be taken by the public as some kind of acknowledgement of involvement – however many MPs would not feel comfortable answering or perhaps might overlook the email,” Taylor Roy wrote.
Senate Speaker Raymonde Gagné’s office responded to the request by saying Gagné had no comment on the report.
Conservative MP and immigration critic Tom Kmiec was also cited in the report as a target.
“The (Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China) group I belong to and its Canadian MPs and Senators who were targeted by the PRC for foreign interference are given as an example of attempted interference. I was targeted by the PRC,” explained Kmiec.
The full list of parliamentarians contacted and their responses – or non-responses – can be found below.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Ziad Aboultaif (Con.) – Denied involvement
Scott Aitchison (Con.) – Denied involvement
Dan Albas (Con.) – Denied involvement
Omar Alghabra (Lib.) – No response
Shafqat Ali (Lib.) – No response
Dean Allison (Con.) – Denied involvement
Anita Anand (Lib.) – No response
Gary Anandasangaree (Lib.) – No response
Charlie Angus (NDP) – No response
Mel Arnold (Con.) – Denied involvement
René Arseneault (Lib.) – No response
Chandra Arya (Lib.) – No response
Niki Ashton (NDP) – No response
Jenica Atwin (Lib.) – No response
Taylor Bachrach (NDP) – No response
Vance Badawey (Lib.) – No response
Parm Bains (Lib.) – Denied involvement
Yvan Baker (Lib.) – No response
Tony Baldinelli (Con.) – Denied involvement
John Barlow (Con.) – Denied involvement
Michael Barrett (Con.) – Denied involvement
Lisa Marie Barron (NDP) – No response
Xavier Barsalou-Duval (BQ) – No response
Jaime Battiste (Lib.) – No response
Mario Beaulieu (BQ) – No response
Terry Beech (Lib.) – No response
Rachel Bendayan (Lib.) – No response
Stéphane Bergeron (BQ) – NSICOP member
Luc Berthold (Con.) – Denied involvement
Sylvie Bérubé (BQ) – No response
James Bezan (Con.) – Denied involvement
Marie-Claude Bibeau (Lib.) – No response
Chris Bittle (Lib.) – No response
Bill Blair (Lib.) – No response
Yves-François Blanchet (BQ) – No response
Maxime Blanchette-Joncas (BQ) – No response
Rachel Blaney (NDP) – No response
Kelly Block (Con.) – Denied involvement
Kody Blois (Lib.) – No response
Randy Boissonnault (Lib.) – No response
Alexandre Boulerice (NDP) – No response
Valerie Bradford (Lib.) – No response
Richard Bragdon (Con.) – Denied involvement
John Brassard (Con.) – Denied involvement
Élisabeth Brière (Lib.) – No response
Larry Brock (Con.) – Denied involvement
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (BQ) – No response
Blaine Calkins (Con.) – Denied involvement
Richard Cannings (NDP) – No response
Frank Caputo (Con.) – No response
Ben Carr (Lib.) – No response
Colin Carrie (Con.) – Denied involvement
Sean Casey (Lib.) – No response
Louise Chabot (BQ) – No response
Bardish Chagger (Lib.) – No response
George Chahal (Lib.) – No response
Adam Chambers (Con.) – Denied involvement
François-Philippe Champagne (Lib.) – No response
Martin Champoux (BQ) – No response
Sophie Chatel (Lib.) – No response
Shaun Chen (Lib.) – No response
Paul Chiang (Lib.) – No response
Michael Chong (Con.) – Denied involvement
Chad Collins (Lib.) – No response
Laurel Collins (NDP) – No response
Michael Cooper (Con.) – Denied involvement
Serge Cormier (Lib.) – No response
Michael Coteau (Lib.) – No response
Chris d’Entremont (Con.) – Denied involvement
Julie Dabrusin (Lib.) – No response
Marc Dalton (Con.) – Denied involvement
Pam Damoff (Lib.) – No response
Raquel Dancho (Con.) – Denied involvement
Scot Davidson (Con.) – Denied involvement
Don Davies (NDP) – NSICOP member
Claude DeBellefeuille (BQ) – No response
Gérard Deltell (Con.) – No response
Caroline Desbiens (BQ) – No response
Luc Desilets (BQ) – No response
Blake Desjarlais (NDP) – No response
Sukh Dhaliwal (Lib.) – No response
Anju Dhillon (Lib.) – No response
Todd Doherty (Con.) – Denied involvement
Han Dong (Ind.) – No response
Terry Dowdall (Con.) – Denied involvement
Earl Dreeshen (Con.) – No response
Francis Drouin (Lib.) – No response
Emmanuel Dubourg (Lib.) – No response
Jean-Yves Duclos (Lib.) – No response
Terry Duguid (Lib.) – No response
Eric Duncan (Con.) – Denied involvement
Kirsty Duncan (Lib.) – No response
Julie Dzerowicz (Lib.) – No response
Ali Ehsassi (Lib.) – No response
Fayçal El-Khoury (Lib.) – No response
Stephen Ellis (Con.) – Denied involvement
Dave Epp (Con.) – No response
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith (Lib.) – No response
Rosemarie Falk (Con.) – Denied involvement
Ted Falk (Con.) – Denied involvement
Ed Fast (Con.) – Denied involvement
Greg Fergus (Lib.) – No response
Soraya Martinex Ferrada (Lib.) – No response
Michelle Ferreri (Con.) – No response
Andy Fillmore (Lib.) – No response
Kerry-Lynne Findlay (Con.) – Denied involvement
Darren Fisher (Lib.) – NSICOP member
Peter Fonseca (Lib.) – No response
Mona Fortier (Lib.) – No response
Rhéal Éloi Fortin (BQ) – No response
Peter Fragiskatos (Lib.) – No response
Sean Fraser (Lib.) – No response
Chrystia Freeland (Lib.) – No response
Hedy Fry (Lib.) – No response
Iqwinder Gaheer (Lib.) – No response
Anna Gainey (Lib.) – No response
Cheryl Gallant (Con.) – Denied involvement
Jean-Denis Garon (BQ) – No response
Randall Garrison (NDP) – No response
Marie-Hélène Gaudreau (BQ) – No response
Leah Gazan (NDP) – No response
Bernard Généreux (Con.) – No response
Garnett Genuis (Con.) – Denied involvement
Mark Gerretsen (Lib.) – No response
Marilène Gill (BQ) – No response
Marilyn Gladu (Con.) – Denied involvement
Joël Godin (Con.) – No response
Laila Goodridge (Con.) – Denied involvement
Karina Gould (Lib.) – No response
Jacques Gourde (Con.) – Denied involvement
Tracy Gray (Con.) – Denied involvement
Matthew Green (NDP) – No response
Steven Guilbeault (Lib.) – No response
Patty Hajdu (Lib.) – No response
Brendan Hanley (Lib.) – No response
Ken Hardie (Lib.) – No response
Lisa Hepfner (Lib.) – No response
Randy Hoback (Con.) – Denied involvement
Mark Holland (Lib.) – No response
Anthony Housefather (Lib.) – No response
Carol Hughes (NDP) – No response
Ahmed Hussen (Lib.) – No response
Gudie Hutchings (Lib.) – No response
Angelo Iacono (Lib.) – No response
Lori Idlout (NDP) – No response
Marci Ien (Lib.) – No response
Helena Jaczek (Lib.) – No response
Matt Jeneroux (Con.) – Denied involvement
Jamil Jivani (Con.) – Denied involvement
Gord Johns (NDP) – No response
Mélanie Joly (Lib.) – No response
Yvonne Jones (Lib.) – No response
Majid Jowhari (Lib.) – No response
Peter Julian (NDP) – No response
Arielle Kayabaga (Lib.) – No response
Mike Kelloway (Lib.) – No response
Pat Kelly (Con.) – Denied involvement
Iqra Khalid (Lib.) – No response
Arpan Khanna (Con.) – Denied involvement
Kamal Khera (Lib.) – No response
Robert Kitchen (Con.) – No response
Tom Kmiec (Con.) – Denied involvement
Annie Koutrakis (Lib.) – No response
Michael Kram (Con.) – Denied involvement
Shelby Kramp-Neuman (Con.) – Denied involvement
Damien Kurek (Con.) – Denied involvement
Stephanie Kusie (Con.) – Denied involvement
Irek Kusmierczyk (Lib.) – No response
Jenny Kwan (NDP) – No response
Mike Lake (Con.) – Denied involvement
Marie-France Lalonde (Lib.) – No response
Emmanuella Lambropoulos (Lib.) – No response
Kevin Lamoureux (Lib.) – No response
Melissa Lantsman (Con.) – Denied involvement
Viviane Lapointe (Lib.) – No response
Andréanne Larouche (BQ) – No response
Patricia Lattanzio (Lib.) – NSICOP member
Stéphane Lauzon (Lib.) – No response
Philip Lawrence (Con.) – Denied involvement
Dominic LeBlanc (Lib.) – No response
Diane Lebouthillier (Lib.) – No response
Richard Lehoux (Con.) – No response
Sébastien Lemire (BQ) – No response
Branden Leslie (Con.) – Denied involvement
Chris Lewis (Con.) – Denied involvement
Leslyn Lewis (Con.) – Denied involvement
Ron Liepert (Con.) – No response
Joël Lightbound (Lib.) – No response
Dane Lloyd (Con.) – Denied involvement
Ben Lobb (Con.) – Denied involvement
Wayne Long (Lib.) – Denied involvement
Lloyd Longfield (Lib.) – No response
Tim Louis (Lib.) – No response
Lawrence MacAulay (Lib.) – No response
Heath MacDonald (Lib.) – No response
Alistair MacGregor (NDP) – Denied involvement
Steven MacKinnon (Lib.) – No response
Larry Maguire (Con.) – No response
Shuvaloy Majumdar (Con.) – Denied involvement
James Maloney (Lib.) – No response
Richard Martel (Con.) – No response
Brian Masse (NDP) – No response
Lindsay Mathyssen (NDP) – No response
Bryan May (Lib.) – No response
Elizabeth May (GP) – No response
Dan Mazier (Con.) – Denied involvement
Kelly McCauley (Con.) – Denied involvement
Ken McDonald (Lib.) – Denied involvement
David McGuinty (Lib.) – NSICOP member
John McKay (Lib.) – No response
Ron McKinnon (Lib.) – No response
Greg McLean (Con.) – No response
Michael McLeod (Lib.) – No response
Heather McPherson (NDP) – No response
Eric Melillo (Con.) – Denied involvement
Alexandra Mendès (Lib.) – No response
Marco Mendicino (Lib.) – No response
Lena Metlege Diab (Lib.) – No response
Wilson Miao (Lib.) – No response
Kristina Michaud (BQ) – No response
Marc Miller (Lib.) – No response
Rob Moore (Con.) – Denied involvement
Marty Morantz (Con.) – Denied involvement
Mike Morrice (GP) – No response
Rob Morrison (Con.) – NSICOP member
Robert Morrissey (Lib.) – No response
Glen Motz (Con.) – Denied involvement
Joyce Murray (Lib.) – No response
Dan Muys (Con.) – Denied involvement
Yasir Naqvi (Lib.) – No response
John Nater (Con.) – Denied involvement
Mary Ng (Lib.) – No response
Taleeb Noormohamed (Lib.) – No response
Christine Normandin (BQ) – No response
Jennifer O’Connell (Lib.) – No response
Seamus O’Regan (Lib.) – No response
Robert Oliphant (Lib.) – No response
Jeremy Patzer (Con.) – Denied involvement
Pierre Paul-Hus (Con.) – Denied involvement
Monique Pauzé (BQ) – No response
Rick Perkins (Con.) – Denied involvement
Yves Perron (BQ) – No response
Ginette Petitpas Taylor (Lib.) – No response
Louis Plamondon (BQ) – No response
Pierre Poilievre (Con.) – Denied involvement
Marcus Powlowski (Lib.) – No response
Carla Qualtrough (Lib.) – No response
Alain Rayes (Ind.) – No response
Brad Redekopp (Con.) – Denied involvement
Scott Reid (Con.) – Denied involvement
Michelle Rempel Garner (Con.) – Denied involvement
Blake Richards (Con.) – No response
Anna Roberts (Con.) – Denied involvement
Yves Robillard (Lib.) – No response
Pablo Rodriguez (Lib.) – No response
Churence Rogers (Lib.) – No response
Sherry Romanado (Lib.) – No response
Lianne Rood (Con.) – Denied involvement
Anthony Rota (Lib.) – Denied involvement
Alex Ruff (Con.) – NSICOP member
Ruby Sahota (Lib.) – No response
Harjit S. Sajjan (Lib.) – No response
Ya’ara Saks (Lib.) – No response
Darrell Samson (Lib.) – Denied involvement
Randeep Sarai (Lib.) – No response
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay (BQ) – No response
Francis Scarpaleggia (Lib.) – No response
Andrew Scheer (Con.) – Denied involvement
Peter Schiefke (Lib.) – No response
Jamie Schmale (Con.) – Denied involvement
Kyle Seeback (Con.) – Denied involvement
Marc Serré (Lib.) – No response
Judy A. Sgro (Lib.) – No response
Brenda Shanahan (Lib.) – No response
Terry Sheehan (Lib.) – No response
Martin Shields (Con.) – No response
Doug Shipley (Con.) – Denied involvement
Maninder Sidhu (Lib.) – No response
Sonia Sidhu (Lib.) – No response
Mario Simard (BQ) – No response
Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné (BQ) – No response
Jagmeet Singh (NDP) – No response
Jasraj Singh Hallan (Con.) – Denied involvement
Clifford Small (Con.) – No response
Francesco Sorbara (Lib.) – No response
Gerald Soroka (Con.) – Denied involvement
Charles Sousa (Lib.) – No response
Pascale St-Onge (Lib.) – No response
Gabriel Ste-Marie (BQ) – No response
Warren Steinley (Con.) – Denied involvement
Jake Stewart (Con.) – Denied involvement
Mark Strahl (Con.) – Denied involvement
Shannon Stubbs (Con.) – Denied involvement
Jenna Sudds (Lib.) – No response
Filomena Tassi (Lib.) – No response
Leah Taylor Roy (Lib.) – No response
Luc Thériault (BQ) – No response
Alain Therrien (BQ) – No response
Rachael Thomas (Con.) – Denied involvement
Joanne Thompson (Lib.) – No response
Corey Tochor (Con.) – Denied involvement
Fraser Tolmie (Con.) – No response
Justin Trudeau (Lib.) – No response
Denis Trudel (BQ) – No response
Ryan Turnbull (Lib.) – No response
Tim Uppal (Con.) – Denied involvement
Rechie Valdez (Lib.) – No response
Tony Van Bynen (Lib.) – No response
Adam van Koeverden (Lib.) – No response
Tako Van Popta (Con.) – Denied involvement
Dan Vandal (Lib.) – No response
Anita Vandenbeld (Lib.) – No response
Karen Vecchio (Con.) – Denied involvement
Gary Vidal (Con.) – Denied involvement
Dominique Vien (Con.) – Denied involvement
Arnold Viersen (Con.) – Denied involvement
Julie Vignola (BQ) – No response
René Villemure (BQ) – No response
Arif Virani (Lib.) – No response
Brad Vis (Con.) – Denied involvement
Kevin Vuong (Ind.) – Denied involvement
Cathay Wagantall (Con.) – Denied involvement
Chris Warkentin (Con.) – Denied involvement
Kevin Waugh (Con.) – Denied involvement
Len Webber (Con.) – Denied involvement
Patrick Weiler (Lib.) – No response
Jonathan Wilkinson (Lib.) – No response
Ryan Williams (Con.) – Denied involvement
John Williamson (Con.) – Denied involvement
Jean Yip (Lib.) – No response
Salma Zahid (Lib.) – No response
Bonita Zarrillo (NDP) – No response
Bob Zimmer (Con.) – Denied involvement
Sameer Zuberi (Lib.) – No response
SENATE
Batters, Denise – Denied involvement
Carignan, Claude, P.C. – Denied involvement
Dagenais, Jean-Guy – Denied involvement
Housakos, Leo – Denied involvement
MacDonald, Michael L. – Denied involvement
Martin, Yonah – Denied involvement
Moodie, Rosemary – Denied involvement
Poirier, Rose-May – Denied involvement
Seidman, Judith G. – Denied involvement
Wells, David M. – Denied involvement
All other senators were unresponsive.
