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CSIS was too secretive when it briefed premier's office on MPP: Ford

The premier says he didn't act when he first learned of allegations that a PC MPP was connected China's electoral interference efforts because the intelligence service didn't give a 'proper briefing'
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Premier Doug Ford, centre, and PC MPP Vincent Ke, left.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared on The Trillium, a new Village Media website devoted exclusively to covering provincial politics at Queen’s Park

CSIS briefed the chief of staff to Ontario's premier last fall on allegations that a Progressive Conservative MPP was linked to China's efforts to interfere in Canadian elections.

But Vincent Ke remained in the Progressive Conservative caucus and in his role as parliamentary assistant to the minister of public and business service delivery until this month, when Global News reported the allegations against Ke.

Doug Ford was asked at a news conference on Tuesday if he'd been briefed by CSIS. He said he had not, but his chief of staff had. 

"You know, with CSIS, everything's a big secret," the premier said with a chuckle, when asked why he didn't take action at the time. "They don't give you a proper briefing, in my opinion. They'll say a few comments and we can't tell you, we can't tell you, we can't tell you. Well, they're in charge of national security, so let them continue on with their investigation. We'll co-operate any way we can and let them do their job."

"But they're very secretive."

According to the premier's office, the briefing took place in the late fall and was prompted by questions from Global News. Ford's chief of staff, then Jamie Wallace, was briefed after the Ford government reached out to CSIS through channels that run through the solicitor general's office.

A spokesperson for the premier noted that his staff had to reach out to the intelligence agency, which hadn't proactively contacted them as it did with Prime Minister Trudeau's staff in Ottawa. 

In an op-ed published in the Globe and Mail, the person who has been leaking to the media described trying to raise concerns with those in power, to no avail.  

"I endeavoured, alone and with others, to raise concerns about this threat directly to those in a position to hold our top officials to account. Regrettably, those individuals were unable to do so," the unnamed leaker wrote

When Global first reported the allegations against Ke, he was removed from his role as parliamentary assistant to the minister of public and business service delivery. He was going to be made chair of the social committee, according to a government press release. 

Soon afterwards, the premier's office confirmed he was leaving the PC caucus to sit as an independent "as he works to clear his name."

Ke hasn't returned to Queen's Park since the story broke but issued a statement calling the allegations "false and defamatory." 

Ford said Tuesday that Ke had done the right thing and he was confident Ke would clear his name, at which point he'd be welcomed back in caucus.

According to the report by Global News, sources allege Ke was a financial intermediary in Chinese election interference projects. 

Citing intelligence sources, Global said Ke received around $50,000 from the Chinese consulate as part of a larger project to transfer funds to federal election candidates and covert operatives who worked as campaign staff. 

Back in 2019, the National Post ran a story questioning Ke’s ties to China, reporting that he had attended a government-run workshop in 2013 and “appears to have maintained a close relationship with the consulate and Beijing-leaning groups like the Toronto Confederation of Chinese Canadian Organizations.”

Global’s sources also allege the Confederation and its honorary chair, Wei Chengyi, were also involved in disbursing the funds. Wei was a guest at a Ke fundraiser, the Post reported at the time. He has denied any role in the scheme.

During the 2022 election, the Ontario Liberal Party called for an OPP investigation into Ke, saying it had received a “tip from an anonymous whistleblower” that Ke, his staff, donors and their families had set up “at least 15 hidden shell corporations,” one of which had received a small provincial grant. 

The Liberals did not raise any concerns about electoral interference at the time but called on Ke to “come clean” about why the corporations had been established.

At Queen's Park on Tuesday, opposition leaders said they felt the Ford government was being a tad secretive. 

"I just wonder what it was that the chief of staff to the premier" was told in the briefing, said NDP Leader Marit Stiles. "Why didn't (the PC government) make certain decisions related to the MPP and what else were they told?"

Liberal interim leader John Fraser was wondering himself about what changed between when the government was briefed and when Ke resigned from caucus. 

"We raised some concerns about the member at the time of the last election with regards to shell companies that were created that got government contracts," Fraser said, referencing issues raised in this CBC story.

"This is another series of concerns that've been raised ... so it'd be interesting to know what change made the government have Mr. Ke step out of caucus," Fraser added.

"In the same way that the federal Conservatives are calling on the federal government to be transparent, I think Premier Ford owes it to the people of Ontario to be transparent about what has happened in Ontario, especially with members of their own caucus," Green Leader Mike Schreiner said.


Jessica Smith Cross

About the Author: Jessica Smith Cross

Reporting for Metro newspapers in five Canadian cities, as well as for CTV, the Guelph Mercury and the Turtle Island News. She made the leap to political journalism in 2016...
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