More than 16 months after it was established, the public inquiry studying foreign interference in Canadian elections will release its final report today.
Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue’s report is expected to deliver recommendations on how federal government agencies can better protect against foreign meddling.
It comes with all eyes on a federal Liberal leadership race that will end in early March and a federal election that could follow as soon as this spring.
The commission’s work happened in two phases. Its first phase looked into whether interference from China, Russia and others affected the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
Hogue released an initial report in May, that found foreign meddling didn’t affect which political party formed government in those elections. The report found it’s possible the results in a small number of ridings were affected by foreign interference, “but this cannot be said with certainty.”
“Our systems remain sound,” Hogue said after releasing that report. “Voters were able to cast their ballots, their votes were duly registered and counted and there is nothing to suggest that there was any interference whatsoever in this regard.”
The second phase, which saw public hearings in September and October, focused on whether Canadian government institutions are equipped to detect and counter foreign interference.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s testimony in that phase made waves when he said he has the names of Conservative parliamentarians who are involved in foreign interference.
In response, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre accused Trudeau of lying and called on him to release the names of MPs who have collaborated with foreign agents.
Last June, a report from the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians found that some parliamentarians were “witting or semi-witting” participants in foreign meddling.
The inquiry has access to that report. However, Hogue later warned not to expect her to name those parliamentarians because the report is based on classified information.
The federal inquiry was triggered by media reports last year which, citing unnamed security sources and classified documents, accused China of interfering in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
Hogue’s original deadline was Dec. 31, but she was granted a one-month extension. The report is scheduled to be released late this morning.