Tag: CSIS

China’s Spying in Canada Soars to New Heights

Commentary If there is one thing we as Canadians have heard an awful lot about of late it is what has been termed “foreign interference.” This refers to efforts by foreign states to identify those in our land and use them to advance their own interests, or stifle any activity deemed not in those interests….


Minister Blair Doubles Down in Blaming CSIS for His Not Receiving Intel on Beijing Threat to MPs

Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair says staff in his office and department aren’t to blame for not informing him of Beijing threats to MPs and has repeated that Canada’s spy agency is at fault. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) “had Top Secret information that they felt that I should see, and clearly, the process…


Federal Employment Dep’t Has Fired 64 Employees Deemed Security Risks Since 2016: Records

The federal Employment Department has fired 64 employees deemed to be security risks since 2016, according to records, which noted that one of the fired employees was confirmed to be a foreign spy. The department’s staff wrote in a March briefing note for Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough and obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter that the government could not…


Poilievre Doesn’t Support Conservative Senator’s Call to Sue Journalists: Report

A Conservative Senator’s intent to raise funds to take legal action against journalists and politicians addressing interference by the Chinese regime is not supported by Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, according to a media report. Conservative Senator Victor Oh has been actively organizing against the implementation of a foreign influence registry, which he says is…


Senior Gov’t Officials Received CSIS Doc on Beijing Threats to MPs, Departments Confirm

Three federal departments have confirmed that their senior leadership was provided with an intelligence assessment from Canada’s spy agency that highlighted the Chinese regime’s attempt to target MPs. The information is highlighted in an order paper filed with the government by Conservative MP Michael Chong on May 5—four days after the Globe and Mail published…


When Intel Services Go Public, You Know It’s Serious

Commentary I don’t know how many times I have heard Canadians say that CSIS stands for the “Canadian Secret Intelligence Service.” It does not. The first “s” stand for “security,” and a security intelligence service is different than a foreign intelligence one, although in some countries the mandates overlap (think CIA). Similarly, many are convinced…


Politicians Should Have Listened to Fadden’s Warnings on Beijing Instead of Reprimanding Him

Commentary We humans are odd creatures sometimes. When faced with information that is negative we tend to want to avoid it. If someone says “I have good news and I have bad news,” many of us ask to hear the former first, dreading the latter. At the end of the day, however, it is best…


Journalist Defends Reporting on Election Interference

A journalist whose reporting helped raise concerns about possible Chinese meddling in Canadian democracy told a committee of MPs on June 20 that he stands by his work. Sam Cooper, who recently left Global News to start his own online news site, told MPs that other countries, such as Australia and the United Kingdom, have…


Cory Morgan: The Mounting ‘Yes Minister’ Moments Are Not So Funny

Commentary Satirical comedy is at its best when it can straddle the fine line between believability and comical exaggeration. A British sitcom in the 1980s called “Yes Minister” struck the balance perfectly as it followed the follies of a fictional cabinet minister named Jim Hacker. The show is carefully crafted to never identify the party…


CSIS Director Highlights How China Threat Differs From Russia’s

The foreign interference threats coming from China differ significantly from those from Russia or other countries, says the boss of Canada’s spy agency. Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) Director David Vigneault testified before the Commons Procedure and House Affairs Committee on June 13 and answered questions from MPs about the nature of the China threat….