Dear Jagmeet Singh and Don Davies March 3, 2023
Re: Liberal Response to Inquiry Relating to Election Interference
Thank you all for your public service in representing us in your riding. I am your constituent and supporter. I am writing to ask that the NDP withdraw its request to have a public inquiry on election interference and to support the Liberals in dealing with the matter through a top-secret non-partisan process. The reasons why are as follows:
- It has already been settled that both the 2019 and 2021 elections were decided freely and fairly.
- Any information coming out of an inquiry could be misinterpreted by the public in a dangerous way. In the House Committee meeting last Thursday, various civil servants testified that the CSIS intelligence is not the same as an established fact. “Misreading or taking out of context an intel report can lead to divisiveness”
- The NDP by putting pressure on the government to hold a public inquiry on the basis of the allegations is encouraging illegal behaviour. The allegations are a product of leaks by an anonymous source in criminal violation of the Security Information Act. Please note that the RCMP is trying to find the leaker of this information. The RCMP is not investigating any allegations of foreign interference because they were insufficient to justify an investigation. https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/rcmp-investigating-leaks-alleging-foreign-election-interference-1.6300818
- The public inquiry would yield little information useful to the public as the administration of the voting process is secret and those testifying will be constrained by confidentiality rules and the documents will be censored. Ultimately any partially public inquiry would only cast more questions.
- Even if the inquiry were to cover government interference from all countries, including the United States, the Globe and Mail and the Global News would likely continue only to report on the aspect relating to the Chinese government – fanning Sinophobia, fear and anxiety of China, which will blow back on all Chinese and ultimately all East Asians. Amongst the Chinese Diaspora, people from Hong Kong have the biggest voice in Canadian public affairs. However, the Hong Kong Chinese-Canadians do not speak in the best interests of all people of the Diaspora if they fan fear and hatred against China. During COVID, it was very clear when Sinophobia is widespread, all people who appear to be Chinese were at risk of hostility.
- Conservatives have been pushing these old allegations of Chinese electoral interference ever since their 2021 loss. They recently brought it again. This is perhaps to avoid having to answer for supporting the Convoy. On February 23, the NDP leader Jagmeet Singh told the public that some Convoy members tried to overthrow the democratically elected Liberal government to replace with its own committee![1] . The Canadian alt-right groups are extremely dangerous and are increasingly popular with young people.[2] They have the support of some members of the Conservative and People’s Party, some police and military personnel[3] and some like-minded Americans.[4] The NDP would make the greatest difference by asking for an Inquiry to investigate links between officials, government employees of all levels and the Convoy and how to reduce systemic racism so that our new immigrants feel comfortable in Canada.[5] It can also pressure the Conservative Party to remove those MPs who met with the German Far-Right Party officials from its caucus.[6]
- As a progressive party the NDP should hold the Conservative Party to account for its support of the Convoy insurrection and for not removing the three Members of Parliament who met with the far-right German delegates.[7] This would be far more in keeping with the NDP’s commitment to racial equality.
- The inquiry would be a waste of time and money. In fifty years of trade with China, this is first time foreign interference allegations have been made and the RCMP has said there was not enough behind them to pursue a criminal investigation. This would suggest that China is not interested in our changing our political system. The far greater danger to our Canadian democracy is posed by Americans. The more the Canadian government integrates our foreign policy and military with the Americans’[8], the more Canada will lose its unique identity and political independence. America is an imperfect democracy as rich people and corporations, especially military ones, have great influence over the government.[9] [10] Instead pf pushing for a public inquiry on Chinese electoral interference, the NDP should encourage a study on how to protect Canadian independence in the face of American influence over Canadian politics, economy and society.[11] As a former candidate for Green leadership wrote, “Canada must prepare for America’s rapid decline” by recovering its sovereignty and self-sufficiency. This study cover topics such as American ownership of Canadian resources and media, their control over our military, what steps Canada take if the American government becomes authoritarian if Donald Trump or his like gets elected again or alternatively, if alt-right Americans decide to “liberate Canada”[12].
- By pushing the public inquiry, the NDP would be helping the Conservatives win support. According to the 338 Poll Tracker at this moment, the NDP and the Liberals together will not be able to win the 170 seats to form a government together; yet the Conservatives and the Bloc Quebecois could do so. That would be disastrous to our country. https://338canada.com/
- An Inquiry will only prove divisive our multicultural society and would help fuel the alt-right idea that some racialized groups are a threat to Canada
- Any “racial knowledge” compiled by the Inquiry could be used by later governments to justify discriminatory laws against the Chinese Diaspora – and also could be applied against other groups.
This is what happened with the 1883 Royal Commission on Chinese Immigration, which the 1876 Indian Act, had an racist impact for generations afterwards. The Royal Commission collected anti-China opinions of Canadian officials and concluded that the Chinese were unassimilable threat to society.[13] It recommended the payment of the 1885 head tax laws which was escalated until all people of Chinese were prohibited entering into Canada between 1923 and 1947. The same reasoning was applied to later waves of immigrants – including Blacks[14], Japanese[15], Jews[16] and the Sihks. The government so severely prohibited Sihks immigration such that only nine Punjabi women entered into Canada between 1904 and 1920.[17] The Royal Commission’s views continued to shape Canadian immigration policy until the 1970s.[18]
The Conservatives remain nostalgic about Canada as part of the Anglo-first British Empire. It is only after 1971 Multicultural Act that Asian people were permitted a sense of belonging to society. Now the Conservatives seem to be trying to take that away, by suggesting that the Chinese-Canadians are outsiders who vote according to the wishes of the Chinese Communist Party. This is very disrespectful. In 2021, Erin O’Toole proposed starting a Cold War with China in order to unite Canadians. His Party Platform mentioned China/Chinese 41 times in its platform, whereas the Liberals did not raise this issue.[19] Members of the Diaspora naturally felt uncomfortable with the Conservative’s hostility towards China, a country where their friends and family still live. This was the most compelling factor for Kenny Chiu’s constituents to shift their support the Liberals. Another reason might have been that they did not think Kenny Chiu represented the well. Right now, he is bringing discredit to the Chinese-Canadian community in the eyes of wider society by his words. As elections are run by secret ballot, any Inquiry finding on foreign interference would be circumstantial.
Chinese mainlanders made a great sacrifice to become Canadian citizens. They gave up their Chinese citizenship and henceforth will be treated like foreigners in our own land of birth. As they have placed their trust in the Canada in this way, it behooves the government to protect them from being characterized as potential enemies in our adopted land. In these divisive times more important than ever for the NDP to back the Liberal Party in maintaining an inclusive multicultural society. This begins by dropping its request to create a public inquiry that singles out one racialized group as potentially be disloyal to Canada.
Human Rights are achieved when all people in our society feel welcomed to participate and vote regardless of background. In 2015, Harper’s Conservative Party tried to salvage their failing campaign by going Islamophobic and stirring fear and anxiety over hijab wearing women. This caused Canadians to resoundingly swing to the Prime Minister’s Sunny Ways. In 2023, the Conservatives are now fanning Sinophobia to win support. They repeat inflammatory allegations that were made anonymously, disclosed illegally, and that are too baseless for the RCMP to investigate. They know that if something is said often enough, people will believe it to be true. A public inquiry, reported for weeks on end through the media, will make baseless allegations seem true in the minds of Canadians – causing hatred, likely suppressing the vote for the Chinese Diaspora next election and supporting the Convoy view that the non-white people are less Canadian. Matters related to the democratic process are confidential. The government should also carry out any recommendations discretely and surgically to avoid racism against an group of people. By dropping the request for a public inquiry and supporting the Liberals to investigate matters through a top-secret non-partisan committee, the NDP can show that it is still a progressive party – vigilant in preventing racial discrimination and standing for the equal belonging of all Canadians in our society, no matter their origins. I hope the NDP can also hold the Conservative Party to account for its on-going support of the far right.
Thank you for your service and all your efforts.
Thank you and I hope to see you soon,
[1] https://www.westernstandard.news/news/singh-says-freedom-convoy-organizers-aimed-to-overthrow-government-in-fascist-way/article_bc0f6898-ae31-11ed-8a21-8f194204681c.html
[2] https://the-pigeon.ca/2021/01/26/canadas-alt-right-pipeline/
[3] https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/police-military-wont-say-how-many-members-are-supporting-convoy-protests/
[4] https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/american-donors-to-trucker-convoy-may-be-outnumbering-canadians-ctv-news-analysis-1.5775986
[5] https://the-pigeon.ca/2021/01/26/canadas-alt-right-pipeline///policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/february-2023/immigration-racism-canada/
[6] https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/three-conservative-mps-who-met-with-far-right-german-politician-will-stay-in-caucus-1.6300925
[7] https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/three-conservative-mps-who-met-with-far-right-german-politician-will-stay-in-caucus-1.6300925
[8] https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/canadas-indo-pacific-strategy-from-un-peacekeeper-to-us-sentinel-state
[9] https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/lets-stop-pretending-america-is-a-functioning-democracy
[10] https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/world-beyond-war-interview
[11] https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/canada-must-prepare-for-americas-rapid-decline
[12] https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/official-condemnation-tucker-carlson-canada-rant
[13] Perry, Jay M. 2019. “The Present of California may prove the future of British Columbia”: Local, State, and Provincial Immigration Policies Prior to the American Chinese Exclusion Act and Canadian Chinese Immigration Act.” BC Studies (201): 13-176,
[14] https://pier21.ca/research/immigration-history/black-american-farmers
[15] Sihks started entering into Canada in 1903 and the Canadian state passed laws that severely curtailed their entry after 1914. https://www.southasiancanadianheritage.ca/history-of-south-asians-in-canada/
[16] Matas, David 1985 “Racism in Canadian Immigration Policy” file:///Users/admin/Downloads/admin,+21485-21897-1-PB_E.pdf
[17] https://canadiansikhheritage.ca/passage-to-canada/
[18] Matas, David 1985 file:///Users/admin/Downloads/admin,+21485-21897-1-PB_E.pdf
[19] https://globalnews.ca/news/8171416/could-the-conservatives-deliver-tougher-polices-on-china/
(By Nora Duen Yee Ng, a granddaughter of a man from Kaiping Guangdong who came to Canada in 1920. Nora was born in Windsor Ontario in 1968, became a Canadian lawyer, has also worked in Chongqing and Hong Kong, has travelled extensively and is now a Master Level’s SFU student. )
The Cover image: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh. Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Tijana Martin
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