What can we do about foreign interference? Fix nominations

Canada is at a crucial juncture where our democracy is at grave risk. The party nomination process for our provincial and federal candidates is obviously a weak link in our democracy, leading Canadians to rightly question whether it is they who decide who runs their governments in light of the vast manipulation and meddling in the nomination process. The secrecy and lack of integrity in nominations sow doubt and distrust in our political system. So what is our path forward? First, it is incumbent on the political parties—both federal and provincial—to put our democracy and national security ahead of any monetary and political gains. It is clear that one thing parties must sacrifice is the financial benefit of selling party memberships to non-citizens. Further, election legislation must be strengthened to ensure that those voting in nomination races are held to the same requirement as voting in a general election: being both over 18 years of age, and holding Canadian citizenship. Letting individuals who cannot vote in the general election decide who will be the candidate is awkward, and makes no sense. Legislation at all levels must also govern contribution requirements so that memberships cannot be bought for others, and that spending limits are imposed on nomination campaigns. Such changes may also include the requirement to file contribution records. Currently, different provinces have different requirements for spending and receiving contributions in nomination campaigns. For example, Saskatchewan has no legislation that touches any aspect of the nomination process. One can legally raise and spend unlimited amounts of money in a nomination campaign including foreign contributions. Further, there is no requirement to file or keep records of any spending or contribution. Henry Chan is former co-director of Saskatchewan Stands with Hong Kong. Handout photograph Secondly, to prevent general manipulation as well as foreign interference in nominations, there must be coherent guidelines and standards on how political parties run these contests. These standards must be crafted to prevent double voting (voting in different constituencies), block voting, and vote coaching. Third, there must be requirements to publicize the holding of nomination events. So often, such events are not even known to constituents at large until after the fact. The public announcement of nominations and the result of contests will remove the level of secrecy surrounding nominations. Secrecy may be justified by political parties on the basis of preventing manipulations by political rivals; however, a simple requirement requiring that one can only hold one party membership at a time at each level of government would be sufficient to overcome this justification for secrecy. Lastly, imposing fines and even criminal charges when someone is found to have manipulate nominations may also be considered to reduce the risk of meddling. Foreign interference happens everywhere, and at every level of government. The lack of awareness from political parties and politicians of such influence is mind-blowing. Many politicians believe interference exists, but thinking that their riding or they themselves are immune is foolish, to say the least. The truth is it’s happening—whether they know it or not it—not only in political parties, but also in organizations, civil society, media, and board rooms. We are at a critical juncture, and politicians must set aside short-term political gains to restore trust, and turn the ship back before it is too late. Such reform takes time, but we need to start right away, and at every level of government. No federal, provincial, or municipal government is immune from this, and enhanced measures must be considered to prevent foreign manipulation. More importantly, it is the responsibility of every one of us—especially those who believe in democracy—to do our part to ensure that foreign interference has no place in our country. This means being informed, and participating in our democracy by learning how to participate in nominations. Standing as a candidate or simply voting in nominations is key to countering manipulation. It is important for the general public to understand how key nominations are. So often, many people say, “I’ll vote in the general election.” Therefore, nominations are handled by mobilizing a small number of people. It’s not unusual that fewer than one per cent of people in a constituency choose who their representative may be. In the case of foreign interference, it is very easy for hostile states to mobilize and ensure that their preferred candidate wins the nomination in each of the major parties. Hence, no matter how many people voted in the general election, the dust had already settled. Our democracy is very precious, and many people died for us to hold on to it today. Like the air we breathe, you may not see it when it is there, but when it is gone, you will not be able to live without it. With the looming geopolitical divide between democracies and authoritarian states, it is clear that hostile regimes are ready to take our democratic rights from us if we do not use them. Hopefully I won’t see that day, but it is up to each and every one of us to preserve, protect, and defend these rights and values. The most powerful tools are that we can stand for election and we can vote. The easiest way to ensure that our democracy is still in our hands tomorrow is to exercise those rights today, and to be informed. Henry Chan is former co-director of Saskatchewan Stands with Hong Kong. He has been invited multiple times to give expert testimony before Parliament concerning issues relating to Hong Kong and Canada-China relations. The Hill Times

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What can we do about foreign interference? Fix nominations

The secrecy and lack of integrity in nominations sow doubt and distrust in our political system.

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