Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, June 12, 2024.PATRICK DOYLE/The Canadian Press
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is the only federal party leader foregoing access to a classified national security and intelligence watchdog’s report that says the country’s intelligence services believe some parliamentarians are “semi-witting or witting” participants in foreign-interference efforts.
Mr. Poilievre has resisted offers from the government since last year to get his security clearance in order to see classified versions of intelligence on foreign interference. Concerns around the issue have intensified amid the bombshell allegations contained in the unclassified version of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) report released last week. The report said a number of federal politicians, whom it declined to identify, are collaborating with countries such as India and China.
Initially, Mr. Poilievre and Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet both rejected offers for the access to classified reports because they said it would muzzle their public efforts to hold the government to account. However, in the last week, top intelligence officials have said that secrecy rules would not prevent leaders from acting on the information they receive. On Tuesday, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May held a lengthy news conference detailing what she learned from the classified report.
In the wake of those developments, Mr. Blanchet agreed to receive the briefing and on Tuesday said he is in the process of getting clearance.
The Conservative Leader though remains unconvinced. The party confirmed he will not get the briefing on Wednesday.
The report from NSICOP says foreign actors targeted Conservative Party leadership races. The specifics are redacted in the report’s public version, however it says there were “two specific instances” where officials from the People’s Republic of China allegedly interfered in the leadership races. It also says India allegedly interfered in one Tory leadership race.
The report spans intelligence from September, 2018 to March, 2024. In that time the Conservatives held two leadership races. One in 2020, won by Erin O’Toole, and another in 2022, which Mr. Poilievre won.
On their way into caucus, MPs were tight-lipped when asked for their thoughts on the leader’s decision not to be briefed on the classified information.
The party sent a staffer outside the Parliamentary buildings to monitor the Globe’s questions of Conservative MPs.
Collusion allegations must go to foreign interference inquiry, Opposition parties say
The only MP who spoke on the topic with the Globe was Michael Chong, the party’s foreign affairs critic, who was himself a target of Beijing’s foreign interference. He was adamant that Mr. Poilievre can’t get the classified briefing because he won’t be able to act on what he learns.
“It would tie the leader’s hands behind his back. It would prevent him from disclosing the names to anyone else, and therefore he would be unable to take action. That’s why we’re calling for the names to be made public,” Mr. Chong said.
Rather than having their leader briefed, the Conservatives have said the foreign interference inquiry should review the allegations in the NSICOP report and then publicly release “findings of fact” on each case involving a current or past Parliamentarian.
The Conservatives are the only caucus that have subjected themselves to the Reform Act, meaning that their MPs and Senators decide whether or not to remove a caucus member, rather than the Leader.
Over the weekend, Mr. Chong told CTV’s Question Period with Vassy Kapelos that the Reform Act prevents Mr. Poilievre from acting without his caucus approving it. That is a stretch, according to Kory Teneycke, a top Conservative strategist, and Philippe Lagassé, an academic with expertise in the Parliamentary system and defence policy.
In an interview, Mr. Teneycke, who is Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s top adviser and campaign manager, said Mr. Poilievre should get the briefing because ultimately he is responsible for what is happening in his own party and caucus.
“I don’t think it’s good for party leadership to outsource those judgments to other people,” Mr. Teneycke said. “Everyone needs to clean up their own house.”
He also said that he believes pointing to the Reform Act as a reason for Mr. Poilievre not to be briefed amounts to a “false construct” because Mr. Poilievre still has full control over nomination approvals and could still advise caucus that someone needs to be removed.
“It’s an opportunity to demonstrate leadership, and I think they should welcome it,” Mr. Teneycke said.
Even though it would make some public commentary more challenging, Carleton University associate professor Philippe Lagassé said on balance the Conservative Leader should get the briefing to ensure he has the information needed to manage his own party. He urged all party leaders to get informed and not outsource their responsibility to Justice Hogue.
“By not getting the briefing, the Conservatives may be the only party that isn’t fully informed about who may be wittingly or unwittingly aligning themselves with a foreign power within their own caucus,” he said.
However, he added that so far the Liberals have not clarified what if any actions they have taken since receiving the classified version of the report in March.