OTTAWA, ON, May 3, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, issued the following statement:

"I wish to thank Commissioner Hogue and her team for their work in drafting the Commission's Initial Report.

The Government of Canada welcomes its conclusions, which reaffirmed the integrity of the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.

The establishment of the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions followed extensive consultations with all recognized parties in the House of Commons. All parties agreed to the Terms of Reference and the appointment of the Commissioner.

We agree with Commissioner Hogue that upholding Canadians' trust in our democratic institutions is of the utmost importance, and we look forward to reviewing the Initial Report as part of our efforts to further bolster the resilience of our election processes and democratic institutions.

Democracies around the world are grappling with the threat posed by foreign interference. Canada has robust safeguards in place to protect our democracy, and the Government of Canada continuously adjusts these measures to meet this longstanding and continuously evolving threat. The work of the Commission will support Canada's ability to adapt its measures in accordance with the evolution of the threat.

Since 2015, several measures have been put in place, including the Plan to protect Canada's democracy. Unveiled in 2019, the Plan comprises initiatives such as the Critical Election Incident Public Protocol (CEIPP), the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (SITE) Task Force, the Digital Citizen Initiative, the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism and the Canada Declaration on Election Integrity Online.

The Government has also introduced Bill C-65, An Act to Amend the Canada Elections Act, which seeks to enact further protections against foreign interference in Canada's electoral legislation.

We will continue to ensure that Canadians can have confidence in our democratic institutions."

SOURCE Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs