Policy points, partisan jabs mark closing foreign interference hearing

Participants in a federal public inquiry are calling on Ottawa to take bolder action against foreign interference by making effective use of legal tools, closing loopholes and fostering public education.

Participants in a federal public inquiry are calling on Ottawa to take bolder action against foreign interference by making effective use of legal tools, closing loopholes and fostering public education.

The commission of inquiry into meddling from abroad heard closing submissions Thursday from counsel for political parties, diaspora and human rights groups, and the federal government.

Several weeks of public hearings that began in mid-September focused on the capacity of federal agencies to detect, deter and counter foreign meddling. The commission also held a series of policy roundtables this week.

The submissions Thursday included doses of partisan finger-pointing as well as earnest policy recommendations.

Neil Chantler, representing the Chinese Canadian Concern Group, said people of Chinese descent experience death threats, harassment, coercion, cyberattacks and pervasive misinformation and disinformation campaigns intended to silence opinions and dissuade participation in Canadian democracy.

In China and Hong Kong, their family members may be threatened for political views expressed in Canada, he said.

"Arguably the federal government has done very little to combat this foreign interference threat."