Foreign Interference: Canada's Unadvertised Low-Risk, High-Reward Investment Opportunity for Threat Actors

Canada is Overdue for a New National Security Legacy

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Jun 20, 2025

I am privileged to have the collaboration of Mr. Phil Gurski on today’s national security op-ed. Mr. Gurski is a former senior CSIS counter-terrorism intelligence analyst, former CSE multilingual analyst, author, and intelligence podcast host. We’ve collaborated in the past on a House of Commons petition asking the government to stop the normalization of antisemitic hate and terrorism in Canada.

*CSIS Exhibit CAN004985, Public Inquiry*

A Low-Risk, High Reward Environment for Threat Actors

Of all the information that came out of the Public Inquiry on Foreign Interference, what continues to resonate like a catchy tune is the phrase, “low-risk, high-reward.” This phrase originates from a CSIS submission at the Hogue Commission.

“Foreign states perceive Canada as a permissive operating environment where their activities are considered as low-risk, high-reward operations. Absent any legislative changes or other means of enforcement or threat mitigation, these activities are expected to continue.”—Foreign Interference and Elections: A National Security Asessment, CSIS, Exhibit CAN004985, Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference (PIFI), September 3, 2024

Since Mark Carney’s election as the new Leader of the Liberal Party and a Prime Minister, who campaigned in the last election with the promise of protecting Canada’s sovereignty, there’s been little evidence to show any true national security culture shift within the Liberal government. Apart from satisfying obligations to the US and appointing a border czar, Carney’s handling of foreign interference hasn’t shown much change since Trudeau’s decade-long tenure as Prime Minister. It seems Canada remains a “low-risk, high-reward” environment for foreign interference.

Where’s the Foreign Registry?

With mounting public pressure on Trudeau’s government for failing to respond proactively to CSIS briefings on foreign interference in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 elections, the Liberal government finally pushed Bill C-70 through Parliament to enact a foreign agents registry. The Act to counter foreign interference received royal assent on June 20, 2024 with the promise of implementation within a year.

The one year mark has come and there is still no sign of a foreign registry on the horizon. Instead, the House of Commons closed down for eight months after the passage of C-70. During that time, Justin Trudeau resigned and Mark Carney triggered an early federal election upon his coronation as the new Liberal leader/Prime Minister.

The purpose of passing a foreign registry bill was to help identify and dissuade foreign states from interfering with Canada’s democratic processes and targeting diaspora communities with transnational repression. However both electoral interference and transnational repression surfaced during the recent 2025 federal election, affirming the need for a functioning foreign registry.

But the Liberal leadership race and a timely election for Mr. Carney to ride on the wave of US annexation threats took priority over safeguarding our national security. Members of Parliament remained outside the Chamber until last month. There has been no sign of movement with the foreign agents registry.

Foreign Interference Resurfaces in the 2025 Election

During the 2025 election, the SITE Task Force detected PRC endorsements for Mark Carney’s election as the PRC’s preferred Prime Minister.

Some of the messaging it found was laudatory toward Mr. Carney with a social-media post carrying a headline saying “the United States is facing a tough prime minister from Canada.” This post said the Liberal Leader has been praised for his “quick and effective response” to the 2008 financial crisis, was called a “rock star economist” by British media and had been described as “the only adult in the room” during the Brexit crisis.—Election interference watchdog detects Beijing effort to influence Chinese Canadians on Carney, Steven Chase, the Globe and Mail, Apriil 7, 2025

Also exposed during the election, Liberal election candidate, Paul Chiang, now a former MP, was exposed for making controversial remarks in a Chinese language media outlet, rousing his community to turn in a Hong Kong Canadian election candidate to the PRC consulate for a large bounty. After public criticism from advocacy groups, Chiang made a public apology. Mr. Carney immediately accepted Mr. Chiang's apology and described him as a “person of integrity.”

However, the RCMP launched a probe into Mr. Chiang’s remarks. This triggered Chiang to resign from his election candidacy. About a week after the election, PRC authorities detained the Hong Kong Canadian candidate’s relatives in HK.

Clearly, Mr. Carney failed to perceive the seriousness of his candidate’s verbal support for transnational repression. He should have passed along the matter to the appropriate authorities for further probing given the seriousness of Chiang’s remarks. An apology doesn’t guarantee a person’s ideological views have realigned over night. Prime Minister Carney demonstrated a poor grasp of national security culture and basic common sense on the matter. Dangerous.

Carney Appoints a Public Safety Minister Flagged By CSIS for Fundraising for a Designated Terrorist Entity

One of the most recent and perplexing decisions made by Mr. Carney has been Mr. Gary Anandasangaree’s appointment to the Cabinet as Canada’s Minister of Public Safety. Global News has reported a series that reveals CSIS’s concerns for Anandasangaree’s alleged fundraising support for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) also known as Tamil Tigers.

The LTTE was designated as a terrorist entity in 2006. A public safety communiqué from 2008 states, that the World Tamil Movement (WTM), also a designated terrorist entity, “canvas areas in Canada with large Tamil populations demanding large donations on behalf of the LTTE. Refusals to contribute often lead to threats and intimidation.” Both the LTTE and WTM remain listed after undergoing review in 2024.

“As of June 2022, there have been no known LTTE attacks in Sri Lanka since the group’s military defeat in 2009. However, weakened remnants of LTTE continue to operate in Sri Lanka and in Tamil Nadu, India. In addition, the LTTE has an international fundraising and procurement network that continues to exist.”—Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Public Safety, Counter-terrorism
“The WTM has not been involved in recent terrorist plots, however the group still plays a facilitating role for LTTE’s terrorist activities through fundraising on behalf of the LTTE.”—World Tamil Movement (WTM), Public Safety, Counter-terrorism

When asked by Global News about his “past actions and statements,” Mr. Anandasangaree recused himself from making decisions on any national security issues related to the Tamil community with the following public statement:

“In an abundance of caution, and to ensure that there is no perception of any conflict, I have asked Public Safety officials to implement a screen on any national security issues relating to the Tamil community.”—Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety, Public safety minister asks officials to ‘screen’ him from conflict of interestStewart Bell & Mercedes Stephenson, Global News, June 6, 2025

Mr. Carney stood by Anandasangaree’s decision and commended him for “having the highest standard of integrity” and having taken “the right decision in his judgement.”

Unfortunately, before Mr. Carney could quickly agree to Mr. Anandasangaree’s “conflict of interest” screen and absolve any allegation of support for a terrorist entity, the public needs more transparency and clarity on where Mr. Anandasangaree is in the process with the allegation of facilitating financial support for a terrorist entity. After all, financial support for a terrorist group is a breach of the anti-terrorism section of the Criminal Code.

So when did the alleged fundraising effort take place?

How did Mr. Anandasangaree remain in office since 2015 with such an allegation?

Given the allegation of fundraising for a terrorist entity, how did Anandasangaree attain the top national security job in Canada, one that requires access to Canada’s top secret intelligence briefings and some of our country’s most sensitive data?

Mr. Anandasangaree’s ties with the Tamil community is not a problem. Diaspora communities should have representatives in elected office who understand their needs. Conflict of interest is not the main issue here. It’s Anandasangaree’s alleged fundraising effort for a contingency engaged in support for a terrorist entity that is an issue here. There is an absolute need for clarity for everyone’s best interest.

If transparency and clarity aren’t brought forward about this Public Safety cabinet appointment, at the very least, the Prime Minister demonstrates that he undermines the seriousness of terrorism, the rule of law and jeopardizes not only Canada’s national security culture, but perpetuates Canada’s reputation as a “low-risk, high-reward” environment for threat actors.

Justin Trudeau “tried to undermine” the creation of a foreign registry, “by falsely suggesting that a foreign agents registry was reminiscent of Canada’s infamous head tax on Chinese immigrants and its internment of Japanese-Canadians during the Second World War.”

Trudeau also tried to shut down debate on the two scientists that were fired from a high security Lab in Winnipeg after transferring deadly viruses to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. He accused opposition MPs of stoking anti-Asian hate for asking questions.

Conveniently dismissing national security seems to be a legacy the Liberals are still having a hard time changing. It’s not Canada’s secret service or law enforcement officers who lack a national security culture. It’s the PMO.

Furthermore, Mr. Carney has taken steps to express his aspirations to refresh relations with China and India. The 2024 Public Report by CSIS identifies the PRC and India as top foreign interference actors. To safeguard Canada from foreign meddling and transnational repression of our diaspora communities, Mr. Carney will need to establish strong ground rules on foreign interference with both countries.

If the Prime Minister doesn’t lay down some clear boundaries, Canada will continue to be the unadvertised low-risk, high-reward investment opportunity for foreign interference actors.

A good way to start a new national security legacy would be to practice transparency and due diligence. Canada’s resilience depends on it.

Nelly Shin, former Member of Canada’s Parliament
Phil Gurski, ret’d senior CSIS counter-terrorism intelligence analyst, former CSE analyst

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