Probe International’s Patricia Adams joins The Andrew Lawton Show to discuss the China election interference story that keeps on growing.

When we think of spy networks, we tend to imagine a Cold War, Soviet-US version of espionage and influence, begins show host Andrew Lawton. “But these are related terms and not exactly symmetrical.”

What we’re learning from the example of Chinese influence in Canada, is that the Chinese administration is “following a strategy of destabilization so they can wield influence in countries like Canada, from the international to municipal level,” says Patricia Adams.

This strategy is a clever one, she continues. “Insinuate yourself into a country and get friendly elected representatives (on side) who will come up with policies friendly to you.” This includes universities where technology intelligence can be stolen.

The bottom line?

“If we don’t have control over our elections, we don’t have control of our country,” says Adams. “It’s clear that something very, very serious is going on. But, part of the problem is, we don’t have the tools to find out. The committees in Parliament have done a good job trying to get information … they cannot get because the NDP is teaming up with the Liberals to stop the disclosure of information through the investigations of these various committees.”

The Trudeau administration’s new TikTok ban on all government mobile devices is a distraction from the bigger concerns.

“If this [ban] is the extent of our tough on China policy, we’re in trouble,” says Lawton.

For more on what Prime Minister Trudeau knew and when about Chinese Communist Party interference in Canada’s 2019 general election, see here.

Tune in to the full discussion between Patricia Adams and Andrew Lawton below.