National Newswatch

David Johnston says he never reached out to MP Han Dong before clearing him in foreign interference report

Jun 6 2023 — Catharine Tunney — While David Johnston’s first report into foreign interference disputed claims made about Independent MP Han Dong, the special rapporteur said Tuesday he never spoke to the Toronto-area MP in the course of his investigation. “We did not reach out to him,” the former governor general told CBC’s Power & Politics Tuesday after appearing before a […]

The RCMP at the crossroads

May 23 2023 — Catharine Tunney — A fleet of vehicles for the fledgling Surrey Police Service gathers dust in a windowless room in a hidden warehouse. Parked side by side, the vehicles are all emblazoned with the SPS motto — Safer. Stronger. Together — and outfitted to hit the streets of the British Columbia city. They just can’t respond to any […]

Chong says CSIS report on China targeting MPs was sent to PM’s adviser

May 4 2023 — Catharine Tunney — New questions about how the federal government handled a reported Chinese government plot to target MPs are being raised after Conservative MP Michael Chong said Thursday that a 2021 intelligence report on the matter was shared with the prime minister’s national security and intelligence adviser. The news contradicts comments Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made Wednesday. […]

Trudeau says he has made it ‘very clear’ to CSIS to share more information after China targeted Chong

May 3 2023 — Catharine Tunney — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he has told Canada’s spy agency it needs to share more information with the federal government when it comes to threats against MPs and their families following reports that the Chinese government was targeting Conservative Michael Chong and his family. “We are making that directive now,” Trudeau told reporters on […]

Intelligence watchdog questions cyber agency’s approach to international law, CSE insists it was above board

Apr 28 2023 — Catharine Tunney — One of Canada’s intelligence watchdogs has scolded the country’s cyber security agency over its approach to international law. The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency reviewed the Communications Security Establishment’s activities in 2019, the first year after it received new powers. While the review was completed in 2020, its report was made public only this […]

Conservative MP accuses minister of taking ‘no meaningful action’ on Chinese ‘police stations’

Apr 27 2023 — Catharine Tunney — Conservative MP Michael Cooper and Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino faced off Thursday over the government’s response to so-called Chinese police stations operating on Canadian soil. But MPs on the procedure and House affairs committee did not ask the head of Canada’s spy agency a single question about Beijing’s meddling in Canadian affairs — despite […]

CSIS warned MPs, senators that hostile states might listen in on their conversations

Apr 25 2023 — Catharine Tunney — Canada’s intelligence agency warned MPs and senators ahead of the 2021 election that their public conversations probably would be monitored by foreign states and that threat actors could target their staff, according to recently obtained documents. “You are of immediate and constant interest to certain hostile state actors,” reads a copy of Canadian Security Intelligence […]

Intelligence agency says cyber threat actor ‘had the potential’ to damage critical infrastructure

Apr 13 2023 — Catharine Tunney — Leaked U.S. intelligence suggested hackers had accessed natural gas distribution network. One of Canada’s intelligence agencies says a cyber threat actor “had the potential to cause physical damage” to a piece of critical infrastructure recently. “I can report there was no physical damage to any Canadian energy infrastructure. But make no mistake — the threat […]

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