Ex-Canadian Conservative party chief claims China launched campaign to discredit him in 2021 elections
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The claim follows a briefing by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), on Friday. OToole, a current Member of Parliament (MP), had lost the 2021 election to incumbent Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Canadas former Conservative Party leader Erin OToole, on Tuesday (May 30) claimed that he was a target of Chinas misinformation and voter suppression campaign aimed at discrediting him during the election in 2021, citing the intelligence by the countrys spy agency. This also a day after the Hong Kong-born Canadian lawmaker, Jenny Kwan, said she was also targetedby Beijing for her human rights activism.
Earlier this month, Canada moved to expel Toronto-based Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei after an intelligence report accused him of trying to target a Canadian lawmaker over his support for the Uyghur Muslim minority in China.
What did the former opposition leader claim?
The claim follows a briefing by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), on Friday. OToole, a current Member of Parliament (MP), had lost the 2021 election to incumbent Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The Canadian MP said that the spy agency had confirmed his suspicions that he and his parliamentary caucus members were the target of a Chinese orchestrated campaign of disinformation and voter suppression in the run-up to and during the 2021 general election.
He added, Each of these threats were intended to discredit me, promote false narratives about my policies, and to severely obstruct my work as a member of Parliament and as leader of the official opposition.
Kwan, who is a New Democrat MP, said that the CSIS also informed her that she was part of Beijings foreign interference campaign and would continue to be a target. However, the Canadian lawmaker said that she would not be intimidated or silenced in any way.
She also claimed that it was her activism related to human rights in Hong Kong when China imposed its National Security Law in the city as well as her support for Chinas Uyghur Muslim minority community are the reasons she is being targeted.
Whoever is trying to put pressure on me in whatever way they are trying to do it, they will not succeed, said Kwan.
While OToole said that he believed it was his criticism of human rights abuses in China as well as discouraging the use of Huawei technology in Canadas 5G network which prompted Beijing to retaliate.
Trudeaugovernment under pressure
There has been mounting pressure on the Canadian government which has also faced criticism for not passing the intelligence about Chinese meddling to the parliament and its members, earlier.The government and its senior advisers are being willfully blind to attacks on our parliamentary democracy, said Canadian MPOToole.
The government faced similar criticism from Conservative MP Michael Chong, whoas per a mediareport wastargeted by China for his staunch support of Uyghur rights. As per the Canadian intelligence report from 2021 quoted by the countrys Globe and Mail newspaper, Beijing requested details about Chong and his family.
In a supposed intimidation effort to make an example and also to deter others from taking anti-PRC position, the paper reported. Chong also criticised Trudeaus government for inaction while the Canadian PM said he too found out about the intelligence report from the newspaper and blamed the spy agency for not passing on the information to him on time.
However, the report did lead to the ouster ofChinese diplomat Zhao Wei who wasaccused of trying to target Chong.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at 12:54 pm