‘We would have acted on it’: Justin Trudeau’s top aide rejects claims Ottawa overlooked evidence of election meddling

OTTAWA—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s top staffer Katie Telford insisted Friday that the government would “not hesitate” to safeguard national security if it was at risk, as she fended off questions over what the Liberals knew — and when — about foreign interference in two Canadian elections.

“I know that if it had ever been brought to my attention, if it had ever been brought to the prime minister’s attention that there was something that was being missed, we would have acted on it,” said Telford, rejecting suggestions that the Liberal government has not taken evidence of elections meddling seriously.

“I would have ensured he knew about it and I know he would have acted on it,” Trudeau’s longtime chief of staff told the House of Commons procedure and house affairs committee.

Telford cautioned that while she’s not permitted to “speak to the specifics” of what intelligence reports the prime minister has received, Trudeau “has been briefed regularly and gets information in a variety of different ways on what was happening around election interference in the last two elections.”

Indeed, the issue of what Telford was able to divulge and what she was restricted from discussing made for a testy yet tepid committee hearing, with Telford warning that intelligence matters are “extremely sensitive” and that “the law limits” what she can disclose.

Telford’s appearance at committee followed a series of political and procedural antics last month that revolved around whether Trudeau’s top aide would agree to face questions about a spate of media reports alleging Beijing sought to disrupt Canada’s 2019 and 2021 federal elections.

Both Global News and the Globe and Mail, citing intelligence sources and documents the Star has not verified, have reported on alleged attempts to influence both campaigns, including efforts to back and fund candidates — primarily Liberals — deemed friendly to the Chinese government.

Last fall, Global reported that intelligence officials had warned Trudeau about an apparent strategy by the Chinese government to fund a network of at least 11 candidates in the 2019 contest.

“I thought this was pretty definitive that the connection that was being made between these candidates and the funds was inaccurate,” Telford told MPs Friday.

NDP MP Rachel Blaney replied: “Every time we turn around, it feels like there’s another article, there’s another thing coming out and this slippery slope of information coming in and out and not being clear is leading people to distrust.”

Telford said the Trudeau government has been “following up” on media reports containing additional allegations, but noted “there have been a number of things that don’t add up in the way that we know them or that officials are able to tell us about.”

Ottawa and security officials have said that while interference attempts existed during the campaigns, those efforts did not compromise the outcome of the elections. Trudeau has since given former governor general David Johnston wide latitude to look into the issue and provide recommendations on next steps, which could include a public inquiry.

Telford’s decision to testify Friday comes after Liberals on the procedures committee staged a lengthy filibuster that blocked attempts by opposition MPs to compel Telford to testify. That prompted the opposition Conservatives to put forward a motion in the Commons that would have forced Telford to appear before parliament’s ethics committee, which is chaired by a Conservative.

The duelling moves pushed the NDP — which entered a governing agreement that could see the party prop up the minority Liberals until 2025 — to side with the Conservatives, promising to back the motion if the Liberals failed to ease up on their stalling tactics. Ottawa then announced Telford would testify before the procedures committee, which is overseen by a Liberal.

Accusations that the Liberals were evading accountability at the time resurfaced Friday as Conservative MP Rachael Thomas lambasted Telford for what she said was a failure to give “proper answers” to “simple questions.”

“Given the fact that the prime minister reads everything and that nothing is ever kept from him, the committee must then assume that the prime minister was aware and that the prime minister chose to actively ignore and avoid the information, the briefings and the warnings that were given to him by our top security and intelligence agencies in this country when it comes to Beijing’s interference,” Thomas said, accusing the Liberals of turning a blind eye to any reports they may have seen to improve their electoral fortunes.

Conservative MP Michael Cooper also referenced an incident, which the Star has not confirmed, involving former Markham-Unionville MP Bob Saroya, who was defeated by the Liberals in the last election. Cooper alleged that 10 weeks before the race, Saroya had received a “cryptic and threatening text message from Beijing’s consul-general in Toronto, suggesting that he would no longer be a member of parliament after the 2021 election.”

When asked whether the PMO was aware of such a message, Telford said she could not speak to the matter, acknowledging it was “frustrating” she was unable to confirm or deny the information.

Just before Telford’s testimony, Trudeau’s national security and intelligence adviser Jody Thomas shared with committee members details on how many times she or the Canadian Security Intelligence Service briefed the prime minister on foreign interference in elections since 2018.

The document, which does not disclose specific topics discussed or the context under which foreign interference was raised, notes Trudeau was briefed at least six times in that time frame. Only one of those meetings took place before the 2019 election: in October 2018, nearly a year before the race was called. A single briefing was also provided before the 2021 election, but it was in February of the same year — six months before that year’s campaign began.

The document notes other briefings did take place with members of Trudeau’s cabinet, other staff, and representatives from other political parties.

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