Canada probe into China election meddling ruled out

OTTAWA: China sought to interfere in Canada´s last two elections but failed to sway the outcome, a top official reviewing allegations of elections meddling said on Tuesday.

David Johnston, who was tasked with the investigation after recent media reports of Chinese interference in the 2019 and 2021 ballots also ruled out a public inquiry into the matter demanded by the opposition.

China denies the claims. “Foreign governments are undoubtedly attempting to influence candidates and voters in Canada,” Johnston, who previously served as governor general, told a news conference.

He concluded, however, that those efforts did not change the outcome of the vote. He said Canada´s 2019 and 2021 elections “were well protected by sophisticated mechanisms and there is no basis to lack confidence in those results.”

“Moreover, I have found no examples of ministers, the prime minister or their offices knowingly or negligently failing to act on intelligence,” Johnston said. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau´s minority liberal government has faced increasing pressure to explain how it responded to the allegations that Beijing sought to influence or subvert Canada´s democratic process.