A federal inquiry has found no evidence there are "traitors" in Parliament conspiring with foreign states, dispelling suggestions to the contrary that alarmed the public.
In her final report released Tuesday, inquiry Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue concludes that while the threat of foreign interference is real, Canada's democratic institutions have held up well against the dangers.
Hogue said she saw no indication the overall results of recent federal elections were altered by a foreign actor and she identified only a small number of ridings where interference may have had some effect.
She praised the dedication and competence of many public servants, but also pointed to shortcomings in government efforts to fend off foreign meddling.
Hogue found that the government sometimes reacted too slowly and that information did not always flow properly to policy-makers.
The report makes more that four dozen recommendations to improve federal preparedness, foster transparency, shore up electoral integrity and counter threats against diaspora communities.
Hogue calls on the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to clearly flag reports it views as particularly relevant for senior decision-makers.
She also calls on Ottawa to develop a whole-of-government foreign interference strategy, encourage political party leaders to obtain top secret-level security clearances, and consider creating a new agency to monitor online spaces for misinformation and disinformation.
"In my view it is no exaggeration to say that at this juncture, information manipulation (whether foreign or not) poses the single biggest risk to our democracy," the report says. "It is an existential threat."
Hogue's findings and advice come in the middle of a campaign for the federal Liberal leadership — and possibly just weeks before Canadians head to the polls in a national election.
The inquiry's most recent public hearings looked at the ability of government agencies, officials and political parties to identify and counter foreign meddling. The commission also held a series of policy roundtables to help develop recommendations.
Hogue also drew on the work of other bodies, including two spy watchdogs.
In a late May report, the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency said CSIS and Public Safety Canada lacked a system for tracking who received and read specific intelligence on foreign interference, creating "unacceptable gaps in accountability."
The following month, the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians raised eyebrows with a public version of a classified report that said some parliamentarians were "semi-witting or witting" participants in the efforts of foreign states to meddle in Canadian politics.
Although the NSICOP report didn't name names, that stark assertion prompted much alarm over the possibility that parliamentarians who knowingly engaged in interference might still be active in politics.
The commission of inquiry subsequently agreed to examine NSICOP's findings.
Hogue said she uncovered no evidence of "traitors" in Parliament plotting with foreign states to act against Canada.
"Although a few cases involving things like attempts to curry favour with parliamentarians have come to light, the phenomenon remains marginal and largely ineffective," the report says.
"I am not aware of any federal legislation, regulations or policies that have been enacted or repealed on account of foreign interference. While the states' attempts are troubling and there is some concerning conduct by parliamentarians, there is no cause for widespread alarm."
Legislation passed last year bolstered Canada's defences against foreign interference.
The federal legislation created offences for deceptive or surreptitious acts that undermine democratic processes, such as covertly influencing the outcome of a candidate nomination contest.
Another new offence outlaws deceptive or clandestine acts that harm Canadian interests — for instance, helping foreign agents posing as tourists to enter Canada.
A planned foreign influence transparency registry will require certain individuals to register with the federal government.
Given opposition parties' determination to topple Justin Trudeau's Liberal government at the first opportunity, legislative changes to guard against foreign meddling appear unlikely before the next election.
But Hogue makes some recommendations that could be implemented without passing a bill.
Under the current federal system, a panel of five top bureaucrats would issue a public warning if they believed an incident — or an accumulation of incidents — threatened Canada's ability to hold a free and fair election.
There was no such announcement concerning the 2019 or 2021 general elections.
Hogue recommends that the government consider whether the protocol should be amended to allow the panel of five to "take a less drastic measure than a public announcement in appropriate circumstances."
Members of diaspora communities in Canada told the inquiry of the ways that China, India, Iran and Russia make life extremely difficult for their families when they dare to question the regimes.
Hogue's report says the commission's work has shown that transnational repression is "a genuine scourge" that the government must address.
