Appointment of ‘Heads of Government’ in Canada Vulnerable to Foreign Interference: MP Chong

Loose party membership and nomination criteria leave Canada vulnerable to foreign interference, potentially influencing the appointment of prime ministers and government heads, Conservative MP Michael Chong said. “We are effectively opening up the appointment of heads of government in this country, including prime ministers and premiers, to this foreign interference,” Mr. Chong testified during the public inquiry into foreign interference on April 3. The public inquiry is probing China’s alleged interference in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 elections. However, Mr. Chong’s concerns extend beyond general elections, noting that lax membership criteria in major parties like the Conservatives and Liberals make local party nominations “ripe for foreign interference.”...