No agreement among parties on releasing names of 'witting' foreign interference participants

The federal parties are still at an impasse over whether the government should release the names of the parliamentarians who have reportedly “wittingly” participated in foreign interference.

The federal parties are still at an impasse over whether the government should release the names of the parliamentarians who have reportedly “wittingly” participated in foreign interference.

In a panel discussion on CTV’s Question Period airing Sunday, MPs from the three major parties argued why they believe the names should or should not be made public.

According to a scathing report on foreign interference in Canada — released last week by the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) — there is "troubling intelligence that some Parliamentarians are, in the words of the intelligence services, ‘semi-witting or witting’ participants in the efforts of foreign states to interfere in our politics."

Reaction to the report was pronounced, with the Conservatives calling on the governing Liberals to release the names of those officials who may have aided foreign governments meddle in Canadian affairs.

But the Liberals say they’re leaving it up to law enforcement.

In an email statement to CTV News, the RCMP confirmed “there are investigations into a broad range of foreign interference in Canada, including matters which intersect with democratic institutions.”

“The RCMP will not provide comment whether there is an active criminal investigation into any parliamentarian," the statement also reads.