Public inquiry grapples with definition of foreign interference in final week

OTTAWA — A federal public inquiry into foreign interference is grappling with how to define its central issue as it begins the final week of hearings in Ottawa.

The inquiry will hear from expert panels this week on disinformation, national security and how to ensure electoral integrity.

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This morning, experts talked about the challenge in differentiating between legitimate diplomatic efforts and more nefarious interference attempts.

This panel also includes the challenge of how to regulate efforts to interfere in elections without infringing on the rights to free expression.

Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue is tasked with examining efforts of foreign states like China, India and Russia to interfere in the last two federal elections and in Canada’s democracy.

A final report, which will make recommendations on how to ensure electoral integrity and strengthen democratic institutions, is due by the end of the year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024

David Baxter, The Canadian Press