Many Chinese Canadians believe Chinese agents work at Elections Canada offices and polling stations, a former Conservative MP told the ongoing foreign interference inquiry.

By Chandra Philip and Omid Ghoreishi | The Epoch Times

Summary

Allegations made by former Conservative MP Leona Alleslev to the Foreign Interference Commission highlight concerns within the Chinese Canadian community regarding potential foreign interference in Canadian elections.

Alleslev, who represented the Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill riding, stated in a sworn affidavit that many of her constituents were afraid to vote for her due to fears of repercussions from Chinese agents working at Elections Canada offices and polling stations.

According to Alleslev, around half of the Chinese-Canadian constituents she canvassed expressed fear of voting for her because they believed there were agents of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) working in the local Elections Canada office and monitoring polling stations. These constituents were concerned about potential repercussions for themselves or their family members both in Canada and China.

The other half of the constituents she spoke to believed that the Conservative Party wanted to discredit the CCP and ethnic Chinese people, and “take away China’s sovereignty and economic power.” Some constituents even received messaging that Alleslev was anti-Chinese and could revoke their immigration status, prevent them from getting citizenship, deny student visas, or have them deported.

Alleslev’s affidavit also mentioned that she did not report her concerns to Elections Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections due to her experience with Elections Canada’s lack of clear process, unresponsiveness, and inaction on other matters.

The Foreign Interference Commission’s interim report, released on May 3, noted that the Conservative Party and its then-Leader Erin O’Toole were the subject of inaccurate reports circulated widely on Chinese-language media outlets with ties to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) or the CCP. These reports were part of a broader disinformation campaign aimed at discrediting the Conservatives and influencing the 2021 election.

The report cited assessments from Canada’s intelligence and security agencies that named China as the most serious foreign interference threat to Canada.

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