Premier David Eby says British Columbia urgently needs information from Canada’s spy agency to help combat alleged foreign interference at the provincial level. Eby speaks during the media availability at the 2024 Western Premiers Conference in Whitehorse, Monday, June 10, 2024. CANADIAN PRESS/Crystal Schick
VANCOUVER - British Columbia Premier David Eby is urgently requesting access to information from Canada's intelligence agency to counteract suspected foreign interference at the provincial level, citing concerns involving organized crime, cybersecurity, and a murder case.
Eby announced on Monday that he has written to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, expressing B.C.'s lack of necessary information to effectively address potential foreign meddling within the province.
"How can we take appropriate action to tackle these issues?" Eby questioned during a housing-focused news conference in North Vancouver.
He highlighted several incidents allegedly linked to foreign entities, including the homicide of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh leader fatally shot in Surrey, B.C., last June. Trudeau previously indicated in Parliament that there was credible intelligence suggesting involvement by the Indian government, an allegation vehemently denied by India.
"The prime minister's statement regarding India's potential role in the murder of a British Columbian was deeply troubling to residents here," Eby stated, underscoring the gravity of the accusation.
Four individuals of Indian nationality have been charged in connection with Nijjar's killing.
"We have experienced cyberattacks on government systems by foreign actors," Eby continued. "Members of expatriate communities from Iran, Ukraine, and China have reported harassment and interference by foreign governments right here in B.C."
Last month, B.C.'s solicitor general, Mike Farnworth, suggested that recent cyber incidents targeting provincial government networks likely originated from a state or state-sponsored entity.
Eby stressed the urgency of receiving information from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), urging Trudeau to expedite the enactment of proposed amendments to the CSIS Act introduced in Parliament.
"Recent serious allegations of federal-level foreign interference have raised significant concerns in B.C.," Eby conveyed in his one-page letter to Trudeau dated June 14. "Our government lacks the essential information needed to detect and address potential foreign interference at the provincial level."
According to Public Safety Canada, the amendments aim to enable CSIS to share information more broadly beyond federal authorities.
Eby's letter outlined credible suspicions of state-level interference affecting B.C. residents with ties to China, Iran, Ukraine, India, and Russia. It also expressed apprehensions about transnational organized crime following a public inquiry into money laundering.
"I appreciate the proposed CSIS Act amendments that will facilitate information sharing with provincial authorities," Eby wrote. "This collaboration is long overdue."
The letter urged Trudeau to provide B.C. with pertinent information before finalizing the CSIS bill to safeguard the province's people and democratic institutions from foreign interference.
"In the context of federal inquiries suggesting potential compromise of Members of Parliament by foreign governments, our request is straightforward: provide us with the most accurate information on the situation in B.C.," Eby reiterated during the news conference.
Led by Quebec judge Marie-Josée Hogue, the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions is currently investigating allegations involving China, Russia, and other foreign states in Canada's 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
