None Dare Call It Treason

But that's exactly what it is:

A shocking new report from one of Canada's intelligence watchdogs suggests some Parliamentarians are "wittingly" helping foreign governments like China and India meddle in Canadian politics.

The National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, which is made up of MPs and senators from across the political spectrum, was asked last year to investigate allegations of foreign interference in Canadian elections.

Their heavily-redacted report, tabled in the House of Commons on Monday, pointed to "particularly concerning" behaviour by some Parliamentarians.

The report said some elected officials "began wittingly assisting foreign state actors soon after their election."

In one case, NSICOP members said they saw intelligence suggesting MPs worked to influence their colleagues on India's behalf and proactively provided confidential information to Indian officials.

In another case cited in the report — based on Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) information shared with NSICOP — a then-member of Parliament maintained a relationship with a foreign intelligence officer. The officers' country of origin was not included in the public report.

According to CSIS, the MP sought to arrange a meeting in a foreign state with a senior intelligence official and also proactively provided the intelligence officer with information provided in confidence, said the report.

The report said China believes it has a quid pro quo relationship with some MPs who will engage with the Chinese Communist Party in exchange for Beijing mobilizing its vast networks in their favour. 

NSICOP reported it also saw intelligence suggesting that unnamed parliamentarians:

• Communicated frequently with foreign missions before or during a political campaign to obtain support from community groups or businesses to be mobilized by diplomatic missions;
• Accepted knowingly, or through willful blindness, funds or benefits from foreign missions or their proxies which have been layered or otherwise disguised to conceal their source; 
• Provided foreign diplomatic officials with privileged information on the work or opinions of fellow parliamentarians, knowing that such information would be used by those officials to inappropriately pressure parliamentarians to change their positions;
• Responded to the requests or direction of foreign officials to improperly influence parliamentary colleagues or parliamentary business to the advantage of a foreign state

NSICOP said some of the cases of foreign interference they examined might have involved illegal activity but are unlikely to end in criminal charges "owing to Canada's failure to address the long-standing issue of protecting classified information and methods in judicial processes."

"Regardless, all the behaviours are deeply unethical and, the committee would submit, contrary to the oaths and affirmations parliamentarians take to conduct themselves in the best interest of Canada," says the report.

 

In Canada, you get a medal for this sort of thing.