Monitoring Foreign Interference Expands to Federal By-Elections in Canada

The Canadian Liberal government has made a significant move by stating that monitoring for foreign interference will be implemented during federal by-elections, similar to the protocols in place for general elections. According to Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, this measure will first take effect during the upcoming by-elections in two ridings—one in Quebec and the other in Manitoba.

The Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections Task Force (SITE) was created in 2019 to secure the integrity of the electoral process and consists of representatives from several federal agencies, including CSIS and the RCMP. The task force has already gained experience monitoring by-elections this year.

Throughout the by-election period, the SITE task force will compile intelligence assessments that will be delivered to a committee of deputy ministers. This committee will then update and advise the ministers tasked with combating foreign interference, helping to protect Canada's democratic structures, according to LeBlanc's statements.

To ensure proper communication and transparency, representatives from political parties will remain engaged throughout the by-election process. Additionally, the SITE task force will create both classified and unclassified reports detailing its overall evaluations concerning any incidents of foreign meddling during by-elections. The classified findings are to be shared with the prime minister, relevant ministers, and the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, among others.

In contrast to general elections, where the federal cabinet takes on a limited “caretaker” role, the monitoring protocols differ somewhat for by-elections. In general elections, there is a protocol established whereby public announcements would be made if a bureaucratic panel concludes that foreign interference could threaten a fair electoral process. No such incidents were reported during the 2019 and 2021 elections, which returned the Liberals to power, albeit as a minority government.

A recent report by a national intelligence watchdog raised concerns about the design of the SITE task force and the governmental panel in handling traditional, human-based foreign interference. It noted that while the task force actively focuses on threats during election periods, many forms of interference continue beyond these events, presenting ongoing challenges for assessment.

The review agency's findings were supported by an interim report from a federal inquiry suggesting that while there was interference, it likely did not alter the outcomes of the 2019 and 2021 elections. The commissioner, Marie-Josée Hogue, acknowledged the possibility that interference influenced some individual ridings but emphasized that this could not be definitively confirmed.