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OTTAWA – Canada’s top security and intelligence officials appeared before a parliamentary committee Tuesday to discuss the Indian government’s links to assassinations there, but MPs focused most of their questions on partisan arguments about leaks and security clearances.

RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme, the Prime Minister’s national security advisor Nathalie Drouin, CSIS chief Daniel Rogers and the deputy ministers of Public Safety and Foreign Affairs all appeared to testify about the ongoing crisis with India.

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Earlier this month, Duheme revealed at a news conference that the RCMP believed the Indian government was involved in a wave of violence in Canada, including homicides and extortion attempts.

This led the government to expel six Indian diplomats from Canada.

Drouin spoke to committee members about attempts to confront Indian authorities with this information. She said this included several meetings that the Indian government abruptly canceled, before a meeting in Singapore with Drouin, Deputy Foreign Minister David Morrison and the RCMP deputy commissioner, where she said the matter was clearly exposed.

“The Deputy Commissioner spoke and demonstrated a body of evidence establishing clear links between agents of the Indian government and violent criminal activity taking place in Canada,” she said.

Drouin said Indian officials at that meeting rejected Canada’s evidence but agreed to keep the meeting confidential so talks could continue. However, she said articles immediately began appearing in Indian media and the Canadian government felt it was necessary to make them public.

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“By making it public, the Indian government has made it clear that it is not going to be accountable or take the necessary measures to ensure public safety,” Drouin told MPs.

Drouin and Morrison also shared information with the Washington Post, which they deemed necessary.

“We made the strategic decision to use a respected international media outlet that had previously published on the subject to ensure the facts were accurate and our side of the story was widely heard. »

Conservative MP Raquel Dancho said she was troubled by the leak of information that the prime minister did not reveal to Canadians in an American newspaper.

“I just find it unfair to the Canadian public that the details were leaked in advance to the Washington Post and confirmed to the Washington Post, but were not communicated to Canada,” she said. “Don’t you think that’s strange?”

Drouin said the Washington Post briefing contained no classified information and contained the same information provided to opposition party leaders here.

She said this is part of strengthening Canada’s international cause with our allies.

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While Conservative MPs asked several questions about the Washington Post leak, Liberal MPs asked many questions about Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s decision not to apply for a security clearance.

Poilievre was offered such permission, but refused to go through the process, arguing that it would muzzle him and prevent him from speaking.

Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal asked Rogers, the new head of CSIS, to weigh in on these issues.

“Can you explain to the committee why this would be the responsible thing to do for Mr. Pierre Poilievre,” he asked.

Rogers responded diplomatically and said that CSIS had a responsibility to protect Canadians and political leaders and would do everything possible to share information whether a leader chose to obtain authorization or not.

He said having a fully exonerated leader allows for information to be shared that can be useful, especially in a larger world of foreign interference.

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“From our perspective, the more party leaders are informed about the threat of foreign interference and some of the details that we’ve seen through our intelligence, the more aware they may be and the more they may be able to take appropriate measures. within their own parties,” Rogers said.

The Liberals asked further questions on security clearance issues. All Liberal MPs on the committee spoke afterward and accused the Conservatives of focusing on politics rather than important issues.

“It is unfortunate that given these unprecedented allegations, we cannot bring all parties together in unity for Canadians, beyond our partisan and political interests,” said MP Jennifer O’Connell.

National Post
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