OTTAWA, Canada — The Hogue Commission has revealed that a pivotal January 2022 report on China's federal election interference emerged from a growing debate, pitting Canada's Intelligence Assessment Secretariat (IAS) and CSIS against senior officials in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government—most notably, his national security advisors Jody Thomas and David Morrison—who downplayed the threats posed by China to Canadian democracy.

The Commission is investigating whether critical intelligence products, including CSIS’s "Targeting Paper" and the IAS “Special Report,” reached their intended recipients, such as the Prime Minister, his senior political aides, and cabinet ministers. Previous testimony indicated that Jody Thomas, Trudeau's National Security and Intelligence Advisor (NSIA), chose not to share a sanitized version of the "Targeting Paper" with the Prime Minister in 2022, characterizing its findings as standard diplomatic activity rather than evidence of Chinese foreign interference—a decision that shocked former CSIS Director David Vigneault.

“This was a very important piece of analysis that brought together the totality of what we knew, including some exquisite intelligence [on] the specific activities employed by the PRC to target elected officials in Canada,” Vigneault testified in late September. “So I thought that this should have been read by the Prime Minister.”

On Monday, the Commission heard that a separate Privy Council Office (PCO) “Special Report” on China’s activities, prepared in January 2022, was also withheld from Trudeau and other senior officials. Drafted by the IAS and drawing on over 100 intelligence reports from CSIS, the report aimed to address mounting concerns about China’s covert influence and interference operations in Canada.

“It was premised on the fact that there was an ongoing debate and some dissent on the seriousness of foreign interference and influence, and it was our effort to further that discussion at the most senior levels,” IAS official Martin Green said of the PCO Special Report.

Green noted that following David Morrison’s departure, the report was handed over to Jody Thomas as the new NSIA, a process confirmed in email exchanges. One such email from Green to Thomas underscored the report's significance: “Please find attached a special report prepared by IAS on China’s foreign interference activities. This report was requested by former NSIA David Morrison in order to better understand China’s foreign interference in Canada. It draws on over 100 CSIS raw and assessed intelligence reports.”

Green advised Thomas to share the report with senior officials, including cabinet ministers, and recommended a “briefing on the report’s key takeaways,” according to the document, which is partially redacted for “cabinet confidence.”

According to Green, the PCO Special Report detailed China’s increasingly sophisticated tactics, focusing not only on election interference but also on economic coercion, intelligence operations, and military pressure aimed at shaping Canadian society and political processes.

“One of the underlying themes was that we thought China was a growing threat,” Green testified Monday, adding, “and that its actions were becoming increasingly aggressive.”

Despite these assessments, Green testified that his recommendations to share the report more broadly with senior officials were not acted upon. He raised the issue with Thomas through a cover letter and multiple follow-up communications, emphasizing the importance of using the report’s insights to guide decision-making within the Trudeau government.

During the hearing, MP Michael Chong's lawyer pressed Green on the delay, asking, “And it wasn't moved along by Thomas despite your efforts, is that fair to say?”

Green replied, “I went to seek her direction on what we should do with it.”

He also acknowledged that the early months of 2022 were marked by significant geopolitical events, including the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which may have diverted the NSIA's focus.

The hearing further revealed that British Columbia Premier David Eby sought meetings with Jody Thomas to discuss his concerns about foreign interference, election security, the fentanyl crisis, organized crime, money laundering, and bolstering security around Vancouver’s ports. This occurred as BC prepared for its next provincial election, scheduled for October 2024.

Documents presented during the hearing highlighted weaknesses in Canada’s defenses against foreign interference at both federal and provincial levels, indicating Eby sought information from federal intelligence officials regarding the province’s upcoming election.

More to come