Cabinet-appointed election monitors found it “really difficult” to track Chinese interference in the 2021 campaign, says one director. Spotting the difference between misconduct and ordinary election activities was “a very fuzzy area,” the China inquiry was told.

“Had we been more certain we could have maybe applied more certainty to it,” testified Gallit Dobner, member of a Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections Task Force. “Does that make sense?” she asked.

The Task Force in a secret November 1, 2021 report Key Observations From General Election 44 said it was clear that China “sought to clandestinely and deceptively influence Canada’s 2021 federal election.” The report identified “online media activities aimed at discouraging Canadians from supporting the Conservative Party.