(LifeSiteNews) — The head of Canada’s intelligence agency testified under oath that he gave Justin Trudeau multiple warnings that agents of the Communist Chinese Party (CCP) were going after Conservative MPs yet the prime minister has denied he ever got these warnings.
In what appears to be a contradiction of Trudeau’s claim that he was not briefed directly about CCP meddling in Canada’s electoral process, Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) director David Vigneault said late last week at the Foreign Interference Commission that he indeed had “communicated” the issues.
He then authenticated memos used during private meetings with Trudeau as well as his staff concerning CCP deception, which was also noted in a “top secret” memo titled “Briefing to the Prime Minister’s Office on Foreign Interference Threats to Canada’s Democratic Institutions,” dated February 21, 2023.
The six-page memo went into full detail as to the extent of CCP subterfuge that targeted Canada’s Conservative Party in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
The memo read that CCP agents “were almost certainly motivated by a perception the Conservative Party of Canada was promoting a platform that was perceived to be anti-China,” also stating that 2021 election anomalies were “aimed at discouraging Canadians, particularly of Chinese heritage, from supporting the Conservative Party, leader Erin O’Toole and particularly Steveston-Richmond East candidate Kenny Chiu.”
“We know the People’s Republic of China clandestinely and deceptively interfered in both the 2019 and 2021 general elections,” the memo reads.
Vigneault confirmed he used similar language when speaking with Trudeau and political aides.
At the Commission inquiry, Gib van Ert, counsel for Conservative MP Michael Chong, asked Vigneault if “this knowledge something you or the Canadian Security Intelligence Service as a body communicated to the Prime Minister?”
“It is indeed something I communicated,” Vigneault replied.
Thomas Jarmyn, counsel for Erin O’Toole, then asked if “Those words were chosen with intention?”
“Yes, these words are carefully selected,” Vigneault replied.
Earlier this week, LifeSiteNews reported that details from the “top secret” memo have shown that Trudeau’s office was giving explicit warnings by Canadian intelligence that agents of the CCP were an “existential threat to Canadian democracy.”
The Foreign Interference Commission was convened to “examine and assess the interference by China, Russia, and other foreign states or non-state actors, including any potential impacts, to confirm the integrity of, and any impacts on, the 43rd and 44th general elections (2019 and 2021 elections) at the national and electoral district levels.”
The Commission is being headed by Justice Marie-Josée Hogue, who had earlier said that she and her lawyers will remain “impartial” and will not be influenced by politics and began January 29.
In January, Hogue said that she would “uncover the truth whatever it may be.”
Spy head: Trudeau was ‘briefed’
Last week, the commission learned about another “secret” memo from October 26, 2022, about “clandestinely supported candidates” states that “People’s Republic of China officials could be emboldened in their electoral interference efforts by the 2021 defeat of former Richmond MP Kenny Chiu.”
During testimony at the commission, Vigneault confirmed that he mentioned the matter with Trudeau, saying, “This is one of the cases I briefed the Prime Minister on that day.”
Shantona Chaudhury, counsel for the commission, asked him if he was able to recall “whether that is something you conveyed to the Prime Minister?”
“I don’t remember if I used these exact words but talking about that specific case, I put that case in context in relation to other People’s Republic of China activities,” Vigneault replied.
Nando de Luca, counsel for the Conservative Party, then asked Vigneault if the information was specifically communicated to Trudeau.
“I can tell you some of that information was absolutely used to brief on a very specific topic,” Vigneault replied.
Vigneault then noted that all the top-secret memos, which were composed for his meetings with Trudeau’s office, contained many facts as well as similar language he had spoken of many times.
“I have verbalized some of these issues in the past,” Vigneault told the commission.
Despite the warnings given to Trudeau’s office, not once were opposition MPs warned that they were a target of CCP agents.
In May 2023, Trudeau said to reporters that he did not know anything about CCP agents targeting conservative MPs.
“The Canadian Security Intelligence Service knew about certain things but didn’t feel it reached a threshold that required them to pass it up out of CSIS,” he said.
“Was it briefed up out of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service? It was not,” he added, saying that “CSIS made the determination it wasn’t something that needed to be raised to a higher level because it wasn’t a significant enough concern.”