predecessor Royal Canadian Mounted Police The superintendent said the Liberal government is shirking its responsibility by insisting that Canada's national police force decide how to deal with MPs accused of aiding a foreign country.
“In my opinion, it’s a complete misrepresentation,” Gary Clement said in an interview with Mercedes Stephenson. West District. “There is no law on this at the moment.”
Last Monday, a report from the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliament (NSICOP) said current federal politicians were “informed” of the participants in the Foreign interference plan.
The committee did not name the men, and the Liberal government has resisted calls to release their identities, citing concerns about sharing sensitive intelligence information.
On Thursday, opposition MPs on a House of Commons committee urged Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc to reveal the names, but he refused, saying it would be “simply irresponsible”.
LeBlanc said the RCMP will decide whether to investigate and lay charges, adding that it is a democratic process under the rule of law.
Clement, who served in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for 30 years, said current legislation does not bring “knowing” collaborators to justice.
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“We need our politicians, at least somebody to show some leadership and not bury their heads in the sand like they are doing today and say 'well, look, the RCMP has a responsibility and we're going to carry on as usual.'”
The NSICOP report similarly concluded that prosecuting MPs suspected of collusion with foreign countries was difficult.
“Because Canada has failed to address long-standing issues with protecting confidential information and methods in the judicial process, some activities may be illegal but are unlikely to result in criminal charges.”
Should individual names be published?
Since the release of the NSICOP report, the government has come under increasing pressure to reveal the identities of federal politicians who “knowingly” assisted foreign governments. It is not clear which political party they belong to, how many MPs are involved or whether they are members of the House of Representatives or the Senate.
LeBlanc and National Information Security Office (NSICOP) chair David McGuinty said they cannot be named because they are bound by Canada's Official Secrets Act and the Security of Information Act and risk prosecution.
But Clement said he “firmly believes” Canadians have a right to know.
“My response to the Liberal Party is, shame on you as a politician for not publishing the names, shame on you Prime Minister.”
Thomas Juneau, a professor of national security at the University of Ottawa, also stressed the need for transparency but said releasing names is “complicated.”
“There’s a lack of transparency here that casts a shadow over the entire system,” he said. “That being said, there are privacy issues, there are classification issues, there are ongoing investigations.”
Junod suggested that a certain threshold must be met before information can be released.
“Where is the minimum level of transparency when you have suspicions but no proof?” he asked. “False accusations can severely damage not only a person's career but his entire life.”
With the House of Commons expected to sit in a few weeks, Juneau urged the government to pass Bill C-70 as soon as possible.
The Liberal government introduced Bill C-70, sweeping legislation designed to tackle foreign interference that would include a register of people acting on behalf of foreign governments in Canada.
“We need a more serious national security culture in Parliament,” Juneau said.
— Filed under Alex Boutilier
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