The federal government plans to warn foreign embassies not to interfere in the upcoming elections

The federal government is planning to hold a meeting of foreign lawyers next month to warn them not to interfere in the upcoming elections.

Testifying before an inquiry into foreign interference in Canada, David Morrison, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, said his department is preparing for the upcoming election and wants to make sure foreign diplomats know where Canada draws the line between influence efforts and sedition. attempts to disrupt.

“I think we should, and we will be very clear with the foreign missions here in the city and their officials around the country about what we consider to be acceptable diplomatic activity and where we draw the line,” Morrison told the inquiry.

While it is a strategist’s job to influence people, Morrison says, it crosses the line into disruption if the influence is coercive, covert or subtle.

Morrison also told the inquiry that foreign intelligence-driven interference was the “biggest threat” he expected to see in the upcoming election.

Morrison said the problem of foreign interference targeting Canada is growing but still small compared to what was seen during the Brexit negotiations and the French election, as well as disinformation surrounding the current US election.

Members of Parliament should learn more about how foreign politicians work and how to recognize when officials’ behavior crosses the line, Morrison said.

He said that when he was appointed as the acting national security adviser, he was asked to inform the cabinet ministers following the 2021 elections and to warn them that the efforts of foreign countries to attack them through embassies may increase.

Friday’s testimony also shines a light on other cases of foreign interference that have taken place in Canada over the years.

In 2023, Canada declared Chinese ambassador Zhao Wei persona non grata following media reports that he targeted Conservative MP Michael Chong. In the days following the report, Global Affairs received new information from CSIS from 2021 about Zhao’s foreign interference activity.

While the move was widely seen at the time as a response to media reports that Chong had been targeted, Morrison said the department had been discussing declaring the Chinese official — not Zhao — a person outside the country for months.

He said the press release provides an opportunity to send a message to China and other countries involved in foreign interference in Canada.

Responding to a question about China’s interest in Canada’s Arctic, GAC deputy minister Alexandre Lévêque said the region is now a stage for political competition. Global Affairs is conducting a review of Canada’s Arctic policy, which will be made public soon.

The foreign interference investigation, led by Justice Marie-Josée Hogue, was launched following media reports that accused China of meddling in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.

In his first report, made public in May, Hogue found that while there may have been foreign interference in a small number of ridings, he concluded that it did not affect the overall results of the election.

On Monday, the inquiry is expected to hear from Canadian heritage officials and Privy Council security and intelligence officials.