Poilievre denies knowledge of Indian interference in leadership race, calls security process ‘politicised’

Canada’s opposition leader Pierre Poilievre

Canadian Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has said he fairly won the 2022 Conservative Party leadership race, after reports claimed India may have tried to help him by supporting fundraising and organising efforts in Canada’s South Asian community, the BBC reported.

The Globe and Mail reported that Canadian intelligence believes Indian agents may have interfered in the race. However, there is no evidence Poilievre or his team knew anything about it, and intelligence officials say the interference did not change the outcome. Poilievre won with 68% of the vote.

The issue has become a major topic during the first days of Canada’s general election campaign, with voting set for April 28.

Poilievre rejects security clearance, says it would silence him Poilievre, who is the only federal party leader running for prime minister who has not obtained top-level security clearance, defended his decision on Tuesday, saying it would prevent him from speaking freely on national security matters.

“What I will not do is commit to the oath of secrecy that the Liberals want to impose on me,” he told reporters. “They don’t want me to speak about these matters, so they bring me into a dark room and they say: ‘We’re going to give you a little bit of bread crumbs of intel and then we’ll tell you you can’t talk about this stuff any more.’”

The Globe and Mail reported that intelligence agencies were unable to brief Poilievre about India’s alleged interference because of his refusal to participate in the security process. Broadcaster Radio-Canada confirmed the Globe’s reporting.

Carney calls refusal ‘downright irresponsible’ Liberal leader Mark Carney seized on the issue, calling Poilievre’s refusal to seek clearance “beyond baffling” and warning that it poses risks in an era of foreign interference.

“I find it downright irresponsible that the Leader of the Opposition day-after-day, month-after-month, year-after-year refuses to obtain a security clearance,” Carney said on Tuesday.

Canada has been grappling with growing concerns over foreign interference in its elections. A public inquiry concluded earlier this year that both China and India attempted to meddle in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 elections. The report described the attempts as “troubling” but said they had “minimal impact” on the results.

Election watchdog warns of new threats On Monday, Canada’s Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (SITE) task force issued a warning that foreign interference from China, Russia and India is likely during the current campaign. Officials said such efforts could involve artificial intelligence, online disinformation and outreach targeting diaspora communities.

The SITE task force said Canadians should expect a “more active” federal response to combat foreign influence and protect election integrity.