The RCMP, its legend being always getting its man, is today on a “shoot the messenger” mission — as in who leaked classified information alleging foreign election interference by China.
“The RCMP has initiated an investigation into violations of the Security of Information Act (SOIA) associated with recent media reports,” said a spokesperson for the federal police force in a Monday statement.
“This investigation is not focused on any one security agency. As the RCMP is investigating these incidents, there will be no further comment on this matter at this time,” said the RCMP’s Robin Percival.
Formerly known as Canada’s Official Secrets Act, the SOIA legislation outlines both the expectations around federal government employees’ legal obligations for protecting classified operational information, and the punishment for committing offences such as unauthorized disclosure of such intelligence.
So, the RCMP is on the hunt for the federal government employee or employees who leaked the sensitive information on China’s purported interference with the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
Last week, during House of Commons committee testimony on the issue, CSIS Director David Vigneault told MPs that an investigation into the leaks was underway by CSIS and its “partners” regarding the sources of the leaks, noting there are internal mechanisms for spy agency employees to express their concerns over how information is handled.
Vigneault’s testimony came as part of an ongoing study into foreign interference, sparked by months of media reports, including those citing unnamed CSIS sources, alleging Chinese attempts to meddle in the cited elections by targeting certain MPs.
The RCMP has said it is not investigating the allegations raised through the reporting of the leaks by journalists, citing a lack of “actionable intelligence” that would prompt a criminal investigation.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s National Security and Intelligence Advisor Jody Thomas, however, called the leaks “very concerning” and said people leaking information are jeopardizing Canada’s national security and putting employees and those subject to investigations “at unnecessary risk.”
“Following any alleged unauthorized disclosure of classified information, CSIS takes appropriate action. Currently, CSIS is working with other Government of Canada departments and organizations to investigate these recent allegations, and the Government will take appropriate actions in response to any identified unauthorized releases of information,” said CSIS spokesperson Eric Balsam.
With this news, the Trudeau Liberals have the interference issue pretty well surrounded, although the PM is defiant there will be no independent public inquiry into the allegations against the Chinese communist regime.
Not that the public would learn much. It saves the day of scouring copious copies of redacted documents to protect Canada’s intelligence information.
Redacted volumes do not lend themselves to interesting reads.
Morris Rosenberg, however, a former public servant who authored the report on attempts to interfere in the 2021 federal election, says the option of a public inquiry should be “on the table.”
Rosenberg told CTV News his report is not the final word on foreign election interference, but rather a piece of the puzzle in studying the issue.
While Rosenberg’s report last week concluded there were interference attempts in the 2021 election, it also stated a panel designed to flag interference “did not detect foreign interference that threatened Canada’s ability to have free and fair elections.”
But amid all the allegations of foreign election interference by China in recent media reports, Opposition MPs on a parliamentary committee still voted on a motion to call on the federal government to hold a national public inquiry.
But, as stated, Trudeau has repeatedly nixed that idea.
