Interim RCMP commissioner Duheme 'very concerned' about foreign interference
Interim RCMP commissioner Duheme 'very concerned' about foreign interference
As questions continue to swirl around the issue of other countries' meddling in Canadian affairs, interim RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme says he's "very, very concerned" about foreign interference, and would like to see the national force be able to use intelligence as evidence in its investigations.
In an interview on CTV's Question Period with Vassy Kapelos airing on Sunday, Duheme was asked if, given all that has recently been alleged regarding China interfering in federal elections and the years of warnings from various national security agencies, he thinks a public inquiry is warranted.
Duheme said that while it is not up to him to judge what steps the federal government should take, he shares others’ worries about the issue of foreign interference.
"I've seen it through a criminal lens, as to what we've been involved with; foreign actor interference. And I also see it through when the service briefs the round table at the deputy minister level. So yes, I am very, very concerned."
He said he'd like to see the work underway to examine how to improve the ways Canadian national security agencies collaborate and share information about foreign interference include looking at ways to change legislation to allow the RCMP to use intelligence garnered by CSIS, as evidence.
As it stands, information collected by Canada's spy agency may be informative, but it often cannot be used in criminal investigations.
"I believe there are efforts to be made to change legislation," Duheme said. "This has been discussed for numerous years. And there's good work that's been done with the service [CSIS] and as well as the RCMP. But, I think we have to take it one step further and really, really, really drill down and see what the options are, so we can overcome the question of intel into evidence."
Duheme said he'd "definitely" like to be able to use more intelligence as evidence, but he understands the challenges around how that intelligence is sometimes collected. It's something the two federal agencies have been working on for several years, he said.
"You don't want to reveal any trade secrets of how this is collected. And again, for a criminal investigation, you have to be able to demonstrate how the investigation began. And with the full and frank disclosure that we face… that is challenging sometimes when you want to use some intelligence that's not accessible or cannot be used for law enforcement purposes," Duheme said.
"I'm hoping we can land [on] a solution where we can use intelligence in our criminal investigations."
Conversation around delineating the difference between intelligence and evidence has come up during the recent parliamentary committee hearings on the issue of foreign interference, with numerous top federal security officials cautioning MPs that taking intelligence "out of context" or without the appropriate caveats can be "very pernicious."
MPs were warned that intelligence that CSIS or other national security agencies collect "rarely paints a full or concrete or actionable picture" and "almost always comes heavily caveated and qualified."
"Canadians would be better served if the debate took into account what intelligence is and what intelligence is not. And that misreading or taking out of context an intel report can lead to divisiveness, which in itself, plays into the hands of some of our adversaries," David Morrison, member of the Critical Election Incident Public Protocol and deputy minister of foreign affairs told MPs during an extended committee hearing on the issue in early March.
During his portion of testimony on the same day, Duheme told MPs that the RCMP had not received any "actionable evidence" that Mounties could use to launch an investigation, regarding foreign election interference in the last two federal campaigns. That remains the case.
Though, the interim RCMP commissioner pointed to other instances where the RCMP has investigated alleged foreign interference, including charging a Hydro-Quebec employee with spying for China, and the instances of China operating overseas "police stations" in major Canadian cities.
"We are investigating any foreign interference that is brought to our attention, and again with respect to having the right information to launch a criminal investigation," he said.
A New Democrat MP is trying to convince his colleagues to change the rules that govern the House of Commons in a series of ways he says would instill 'democratic controls' on the prime minister's 'unfettered' powers.
Monday morning, the Public Service Alliance of Canada announced it had reached a 'tentative' agreement with the federal government for the 120,000 picketing Treasury Board workers who, since April 19, had been engaged in one of the largest strikes in Canadian history. Here's a rundown of the developments from Parliament Hill as they happened.
The House committee studying foreign election interference heard from top 2019 and 2021 Liberal and Conservative campaign directors on Tuesday, with party officials from both camps speaking about the need for politicians to come together to address any "legislative gaps" ahead of the next vote.
In the 2023 federal budget, the government is unveiling continued deficit spending targeted at Canadians' pocketbooks, public health care and the clean economy.
U.S President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have announced updates on a number of cross-border issues, after a day of meetings on Parliament Hill.
Special rapporteur David Johnston didn't recommend public inquiry knowing it was a pathetically insufficient response for a foreign democratic assault of this magnitude, writes Don Martin in an exclusive column for CTVNews.ca.
To frame a few new illustrations on pages tucked inside a passport as proof of a Liberal plot to purge the Canadian historical record seems like a severe stretch, writes Don Martin in an exclusive column for CTVNews.ca.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino is a bright former federal prosecutor, who was destined to be a star in Justin Trudeau's cabinet. But in an opinion column on CTVNews.ca, Don Martin argues Mendicino has taken a stunning fall from grace, stumbling badly on important issues just 18 months into the job.
It's the most peculiar of elections with the frontrunner and her main opponent being the same person, writes columnist Don Martin. 'In the looming Alberta showdown, it's Premier Danielle Smith versus her mouth.'
Two billion carbon-absorbing trees to be planted by 2030 was the eye-catching Trudeau government promise from four years ago. But according to a new environment commissioner’s report, a mind-reeling list of failures makes it 'unlikely that the program will meet its objectives.'
A 'truly innocent' engaged couple was shot dead while attempting to flee their attacker outside their home after a landlord-tenant dispute escalated on Saturday night, according to police.
Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won reelection Sunday, extending his increasingly authoritarian rule into a third decade in a country reeling from high inflation and the aftermath of an earthquake that levelled entire cities.
The historic impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was just the first round of a Republican brawl over whether to banish one of their own in America's biggest red state after years of criminal accusations.
Less than two months after he pleaded guilty to storming the U.S. Capitol, Texas resident Daniel Goodwyn appeared on Tucker Carlson's then-Fox News show and promoted a website where supporters could donate money to Goodwyn and other rioters whom the site called 'political prisoners.'
Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley held a major rally in downtown Calgary Saturday morning, while her United Conservative rival had no public events planned this weekend after a final pitch to voters a day earlier.
A 'truly innocent' engaged couple was shot dead while attempting to flee their attacker outside their home after a landlord-tenant dispute escalated on Saturday night, according to police.
Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley held a major rally in downtown Calgary Saturday morning, while her United Conservative rival had no public events planned this weekend after a final pitch to voters a day earlier.
With advance voting open in Alberta and election day looming on May 29, CTV News Edmonton has compiled a list of ridings to watch in the capital region.
Chinatowns don't just share a similar look — they also face similar existential threats and David-versus-Goliath-like battles for survival. In her documentary 'Big Fight in Little Chinatown,' Karen Cho reveals how the pressure of gentrification is threatening these communities across North America.
Two women are dead and three people, including children, are injured after a head-on vehicle crash in Quebec's Eastern Townships on Saturday night. The collision occurred at about 11:45 p.m. near Farnham, about 60 kilometres southeast of Montreal.
The historic impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was just the first round of a Republican brawl over whether to banish one of their own in America's biggest red state after years of criminal accusations.
With days to spare before a potential first-ever government default, President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached final agreement Sunday on a deal to raise the nation's debt ceiling and worked to ensure enough Republican and Democratic votes to pass the measure in the coming week.
Less than two months after he pleaded guilty to storming the U.S. Capitol, Texas resident Daniel Goodwyn appeared on Tucker Carlson's then-Fox News show and promoted a website where supporters could donate money to Goodwyn and other rioters whom the site called 'political prisoners.'
Ukraine's capital was subjected to the largest drone attack since the start of Russia's war, local officials said, as Kyiv prepared to mark the anniversary of its founding on Sunday.
Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won reelection Sunday, extending his increasingly authoritarian rule into a third decade in a country reeling from high inflation and the aftermath of an earthquake that levelled entire cities.
One of the so-called godfathers of artificial intelligence says governments need to move faster on regulations to protect against the dangers of the rapidly advancing technology, before it poses a larger threat to humanity.
With just four weeks left until the House of Commons breaks for the summer, the weekly panel of political strategists on CTV's Question Period says it's likely time for the prime minister to shuffle his cabinet.
Almost a year before the closure of 24 Sussex Drive due to disrepair and an infestation of rodents, the chairman of the National Capital Commission's board of directors warned that further delaying a cabinet decision on the fate of the residence would put the whole structure at risk.
Allergies in both children and adults have definitely been on the rise over the last several years, much of the rise in allergies and asthma 'can be directly linked to climate change,' experts say.
It is a world wrapped in mystery - the seventh planet from the sun, Uranus, seen up close just once nearly four decades ago by a passing NASA probe and still warily guarding its secrets.
Egypt unearthed human and animal mummification workshops as well as two tombs in the ancient burial ground of Saqqara, officials said on Saturday, marking the latest in a string of discoveries that the country hopes can help revive its vital tourism industry.
France confirmed its aim to launch a vaccination program against bird flu in the autumn after results from a series of tests on the vaccination of ducks showed 'satisfactory effectiveness,' the farm ministry said.
Several Jewish groups, politicians and an alliance of civil society groups gathered for a memorial ceremony and a protest rally against a concert by Roger Waters in Frankfurt on Sunday evening.
Dedicated fans of 'Succession' are locking in plans to watch the whopping 88-minute finale while turning online for emotional support, memes and endless theories about how the show could end and who will prevail.
Mortgage delinquencies are expected to rise by more than one-third of current levels over the next year, according to some economists. If you anticipate being unable to make your payments and decide to sell your home, here's what an expert says you should consider.
A new report is casting doubt on the idea that Canada is facing a widespread labour shortage and bolsters the arguments by some labour economists that high job vacancies aren't due to a shortage of workers.
As Elizabeth Holmes prepares to report to prison next week, the criminal case that laid bare the blood-testing scam at the heart of her Theranos startup is entering its final phase.
It's a joyous day for Eve, resident falcon at the Université de Montreal: her babies are hatching. The event is being live-streamed on Sunday from a nest box atop the 23rd floor of a tower on campus.
The Toronto Blue Jays took another step toward a turnaround at the end of a rough month, posting their first series win in four ties in well-rounded fashion.
Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi capped his strong end to the season with a sixth goal in four games in a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace in the final round of the Premier League on Sunday.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world's most famous endurance race, will be open to hydrogen-powered cars starting in 2026, Pierre Fillon, the president of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest, said Saturday.
A Tennessee company is refusing demands from U.S. regulators to recall millions of vehicles due to airbag inflators that can explode and shoot shrapnel into drivers. While cases are rare, there has been at least one death in Canada, where officials lack the authority to demand a similarly sweeping recall.
Defending Formula One champion Max Verstappen produced a superb final lap to take pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix on Saturday and deny Aston Martin veteran Fernando Alonso his first pole in 11 years.
