CSIS briefed Ontario premier's office on potential Chinese interference: Ford
Canada's national security agency briefed the Ontario premier's chief of staff after allegations of election interference by China were tied to a member of his caucus, Premier Doug Ford said Tuesday.
Vincent Ke, a provincial representative for Don Valley North in Toronto, resigned from the Progressive Conservative caucus earlier this month after the allegations surfaced in a Global News report.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Ke has denied the allegations and called them defamatory.
Ford's office said the meeting occurred in November with then chief-of-staff Jamie Wallace, who then filled in the premier.
Ford said the meeting was brief and "wasn't in depth."
"With CSIS, everything's a big secret, they don't give you a proper briefing in my opinion," Ford said at an announcement in Vaughan, Ont., for more money to train skilled workers.
"They will say a few comments and 'we can't tell you, we can't tell you, we can't tell you."
Ford's office said it did not take action because CSIS provided limited information and provincial authorities decided to let the national security service do its work.
He said the province will co-operate with the CSIS probe, but believes Ke will be exonerated.
"I have confidence that his name will be cleared," Ford said.
"If his name's totally cleared, there's no reason why he can't come back to the caucus."
Ke has sat as an independent since March 10.
That followed a report from Global News that alleged Ke served as a financial intermediary in a Chinese Communist Party election interference scheme.
Ke was first elected in 2018 and re-elected last June.
An earlier report by Global News in November referenced the alleged involvement of an Ontario member of provincial parliament, and while Ke wasn't publicly named at the time, Ford's office says the reporter had asked them questions about the provincial representative.
Ford's office says the premier's chief of staff then requested and received a briefing from CSIS, but didn't receive concrete information.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.