Trudeau Claims China's Interference Didn't Help Him Win the Elections

In a pivotal moment at a public inquiry on Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau adamantly refuted allegations of Chinese interference in Canada's 2019 and 2021 elections. Despite acknowledging attempts by foreign states to meddle in the electoral process, Trudeau asserted that the integrity of the polls remained intact and the outcomes were determined solely by Canadians.

The inquiry, sparked by reports of foreign influence, particularly from China, scrutinized findings from Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) briefings. A slide presented at the commission revealed details from a February 2023 briefing, indicating clandestine efforts by Beijing to sway election results. 

Trudeau claims that China's didn't favour him

Trudeau, pointing to ‘mounting tensions’ between Ottawa and Beijing, denied claims that Chinese officials favoured his Liberal Party. The focus of his testimony centered on former Liberal lawmaker Han Dong, accused of links to a Chinese foreign interference network. 

Trudeau acknowledged being briefed about CSIS concerns regarding Dong's candidacy in 2019 but emphasized the ‘lack of credible evidence’ to warrant drastic action.

Interference didn't overturn results, claims Trudeau 

Other officials in Trudeau's government corroborated Trudeau's stance, indicating that reports of interference often failed to meet the threshold necessary for public disclosure. Trudeau underscored the sensitive nature of intelligence briefings, cautioning that observed irregularities were insufficient grounds to overturn democratic processes.

“A well-grounded suspicion does warrant more follow-ups but also might not hit the high threshold for overturning the result,” he said. 

It appears that the Canadian PM is attempting to ensure that people don't perceive his victory in elections as an outcome of China's election interference. It is worth pointing out that if he accepted the claim that China's election interference tilted the scales in favour of the Liberal Party, he would be undermining his own legitimacy.