Fears that 'foreign interference' investigations could stoke anti-Asian sentiment
Fears that 'foreign interference' investigations could stoke anti-Asian sentiment
As far as the allegations about foreign interference go, the details are murky.
An anonymous source has leaked information to journalists, suggesting China has tried to influence Canadian election outcomes to help elect candidates favourable to the regime.
While official information is hard to come by, what's clear to Henry Yu, an associate professor of history at the University of British Columbia, is the target.
"Going back to accusations of Chinese money laundering, of Chinese foreign buyers being (scapegoated) for the high housing prices in B.C., there's this long trend of the accusation that China is the ill that's causing all our problems," Yu explained.
Yu also pointed to the rise in anti-Asian hate during the pandemic. He said with various investigations underway into whether there was foreign interference in Canadian elections, the framing of the issue – which he acknowledges is a serious one – is crucial.
That's why he and several academics released an open letter saying the allegations should be investigated but not racialized.
The letter reads in part, "We are deeply concerned that discussions of foreign interference and national security can quickly become toxic as we have already seen in the accusations that a respected Chinese Canadian senator and a newly elected mayor are agents of the Chinese government."
The letter is addressed to former governor general David Johnston, who was appointed by Ottawa to look into the concerns and determine whether a public inquiry is needed.
One of Yu's concerns is understanding why information from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service was leaked, what impact that has on the investigation.
"CSIS is not a diverse organization and they're not particularly good at gathering information about communities that speak other languages and look different," added Yu.
Last week, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, responding to reports China interfered in last year's municipal elections, said the conversation would be non-existent if he were white.
Yu agrees, noting he feels the onus is now on Canadians of Chinese descent to prove they are loyal.
"Even if Ken Sim or if I come and say, 'I'm a loyal Canadian,' once this kind of taint of suspicion and guilt by association is put on you, you're actually trying to disprove something," he added.
In Ottawa, the Liberals are under fire about what they knew – and when – about potential interference. A parliamentary committee will hear from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's chief of staff, but the Liberals have already said Katie Telford will be limited in what she can say due to security concerns.
A report with recommendations is expected from Johnston by May 23.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered a speech to Ukraine's parliament, where he called the war-torn country's fight against Russia's invasion a battle 'for the future of us all.' This comes after Trudeau announced Canada will be spending $500 million to help Ukraine's military fight Russia's invasion.
Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc says a public inquiry into foreign interference 'has never been off the table,' following the sudden resignation of special rapporteur David Johnston.
Fires across the country are burning millions of hectares of land but what does that really look like? CTVNews.ca compared the blazes to some cities and lakes in the country showing just how big they have gotten.
Ahead of the release of her interim report on progress as Canada's special interlocutor on unmarked graves at former residential schools, Kimberly Murray says lawmakers at all levels of government shouldn’t be waiting for her findings to act.
A Ukrainian-Canadian teenager is on an emotional journey to capture the destruction of the Russian invasion, including of his childhood home, on camera.
A recent study published in the peer-reviewed journal Preventative Medicine Reports by a group of international researchers has found that post-secondary students with unhealthy eating habits can go on to suffer from disease and mental health issues for years to come.
Foreign interference special rapporteur David Johnston has resigned, CTV News has confirmed. In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Johnston cited the intense politicization of his appointment and work, as the reason for his coming departure.
Former U.S. president Donald Trump is facing 37 felony charges related to the mishandling of classified documents, according to an indictment unsealed Friday that alleges that he described a Pentagon 'plan of attack' and shared a classified map related to a military operation.
Wildfire officials are sending an additional 20 firefighters to help battle an out-of-control blaze that has burned more than two square kilometres of forest and cut off a major highway on Vancouver Island.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered a speech to Ukraine's parliament, where he called the war-torn country's fight against Russia's invasion a battle 'for the future of us all.' This comes after Trudeau announced Canada will be spending $500 million to help Ukraine's military fight Russia's invasion.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered a speech to Ukraine's parliament, where he called the war-torn country's fight against Russia's invasion a battle 'for the future of us all.' This comes after Trudeau announced Canada will be spending $500 million to help Ukraine's military fight Russia's invasion.
Ahead of the release of her interim report on progress as Canada's special interlocutor on unmarked graves at former residential schools, Kimberly Murray says lawmakers at all levels of government shouldn’t be waiting for her findings to act.
Toronto police have released images of a vehicle used by three suspects to flee the scene of a violent attack outside of a Scarborough mosque last month.
The next 48 hours will be crucial in Quebec's wildfire fight in northern and western parts of the province, with rain forecast for Monday but warmer, humid temperatures expected until then.
Three of the province's nine Cree communities are threatened by wildfires, including Waswanipi and Mistissini. But only Oujé-Bougoumou, about 500 kilometres north of Montreal, has been evacuated completely.
There is a divide at the Mohawk Council of Kanesatake that seems bound to complicate the process of cleaning up a toxic dump that has the potential to hurt the wider environment north of Montreal.
WINNIPEG -- Zach Collaros was glad Blue Bombers fans were able to cheer just as much at the end of the game as they did early on in Winnipeg's 42-31 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Friday.
The head of Saskatoon’s chamber of commerce responding with frustration to the city’s announcement of a $75 million deficit over the next two years — and the tax hikes that will likely be needed to help makeup some of the the shortfall.
A recent study published in the peer-reviewed journal Preventative Medicine Reports by a group of international researchers has found that post-secondary students with unhealthy eating habits can go on to suffer from disease and mental health issues for years to come.
A Ukrainian-Canadian teenager is on an emotional journey to capture the destruction of the Russian invasion, including of his childhood home, on camera.
Police say a woman in central Nova Scotia has been fined nearly $29,000 for having an unsupervised outdoor fire in the midst of a provincewide fire ban.
Nova Scotia says it has identified more details about the records stolen in a file transfer service cyber attack, impacting teachers, students and health care workers' records.
Police have reopened a section of Highway 401 westbound between Woodstock and Cambridge after a crash involving a transport truck and an Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) vehicle resulted in a closure closure.
The Waterloo Region Integrated Drug Strategy (WRIDS) is sounding the alarm after a significant number of drug overdose and poisonings were reported over the last few days.
