Mayor Patrick Brown revealed he has been briefed on instances of foreign influence in Brampton, amidst allegations that countries such as India, China, and others are meddling in Canadian affairs, according to a recent report.
These remarks follow accusations from the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, suggesting that unnamed MPs and senators might be involved in foreign governments’ interference in Canadian politics.
Mayor Brown confirmed receiving a briefing from the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) on the potential foreign interference in Brampton, though he could not disclose specifics due to security constraints.
“As mayor, along with other mayors in the GTA, I receive briefings from CSIS on matters we should be aware of. I’ve been briefed on examples of foreign interference in Brampton and the Peel Region,” Brown stated in a report from the Brampton Guardian.
The mayor believes that foreign interference is occurring in both Brampton and the wider Peel Region, which includes Mississauga.
According to the report, India, Pakistan, and Iran have been engaged in foreign interference activities. It also alleges that China interfered in the Conservative Party of Canada’s leadership races—a race from which Brown was disqualified in 2022.
The Conservative Party removed Brown from the leadership race over allegations of breaking finance rules, which Brown has denied, accusing the party of “reprehensible, undemocratic behavior.”
The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this matter.
The report has caused a stir in Ottawa, with some party leaders demanding the names of the implicated politicians be made public. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, who has top secret-level security clearance, was relieved to find no current sitting MPs involved in the unredacted report.
However, one unnamed former MP is accused of sharing privileged information with a foreign operative, which May insists should be “fully investigated and prosecuted.”
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, scheduled to review the unredacted report, stated he would expel any New Democrat MP found to have knowingly participated in meddling.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, attending a G-7 summit in Italy, has listed misinformation and foreign interference among Canada’s top priorities.
Meanwhile, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has called for the names to be made public but has not taken steps to acquire the necessary security clearance to read the full report.