Liberal House leader accuses Poilievre of 'hiding something' by refusing security clearance

The Liberals' House leader is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of  "hiding something from Canadians" by refusing to get the national security clearance he needs to review classified documents and learn the names of Conservative parliamentarians allegedly linked to foreign interference.

Posting on social media Thursday afternoon, government House leader Karina Gould wrote that "the Conservative Leader is hiding something from Canadians."

"Does he think he might not be able to pass a security clearance or does he know something and he's trying to hide it? Or is there something that he's trying to protect?" Gould said in an accompanying video.

The accusation, using some of the Liberals' strongest language to date, adds to an already fiery debate in Canadian politics about Poilievre's refusal to obtain a security clearance.

Testifying last week before the inquiry into foreign interference, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he's seen intelligence about Conservative parliamentarians and party members who are engaged in or vulnerable to foreign interference.

Trudeau also veered into partisan territory in his testimony. He accused Poilievre of being "irresponsible" by refusing to go through the process to obtain the top-secret security clearance the prime minister said would allow the Conservative leader to be briefed on allegations concerning his party.

In response, Poilievre accused Trudeau of lying and grandstanding. He has argued against getting that clearance, saying he would be bound by secrecy laws and couldn't speak openly or challenge the government.

In a statement sent to CBC News on Thursday, Conservative spokesperson Sebastian Skamski said Poilievre isn't concerned about going through the security check, and pointed out he's already been through the process as a cabinet minister.

"Submitting private personal information to a security clearance check is not a concern for Mr. Poilievre, nor has he ever expressed that as a concern," Skamski said.

"To the contrary, Mr. Poilievre's objection is that he will be silenced by the Trudeau Liberal government — a view which he has repeatedly stated publicly."

In her video, Gould also pointed to comments Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong made in an interview with the Globe and Mail earlier this week as evidence that Poilievre is worried about going through the process.

The newspaper reported the Conservatives fear that any personal and family information obtained through the security clearance process — which includes background checks on family members, credit and criminal checks and intrusive questions about sexual partners or possible previous drug use — could be used by the government for political purposes.

"I don't trust this prime minister," Chong is quoted by the Globe as saying. "It is a sign of a desperate prime minister who is willing to go to any lengths to stay in power."

In a statement sent to CBC News, Chong said his comments "were a hypothetical response" to a question and "not reflective of any position that Mr. Poilievre or others in the Conservative Party have taken."

"At no time did Mr. Poilievre ever indicate to me this was a reason for him declining a security clearance," said Chong.

Conservatives call on PM to release names in House

Skamski repeated the Conservatives' call for the prime minister to release in the House of Commons the names of all parliamentarians who have knowingly collaborated in foreign interference.

He also pointed to a section of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act which allows the spy agency to take "reasonable and proportional" measures to counter threats to the security of Canada.

CSIS has said such a "threat reduction measure" — sometimes called a TRM — could include a classified briefing. 

"The government can brief the leader of the Opposition on issues of national security that are relevant to him, but they have not — they prefer the option that muzzles and silences instead," said Skamski.

A spokesperson for CSIS said that before using a threat reduction measure, CSIS weighs "the availability of other means to address the threat, and the potential impact on third parties, including their privacy rights." 

CSIS also said that while it can brief more Canadians than ever before on sensitive information, it still can't share personal information — or name names — if the person receiving the briefing doesn't have the proper clearance.

Last spring, the House of Commons pushed through, with broad support, the government's legislation to counter foreign interference, formally known as Bill C-70.

It allows CSIS to disclose sensitive information beyond the federal government "to strengthen society's overall resilience against threats," said CSIS spokesperson John Townsend, responding to CBC's questions last week.

But there are limits.

"Importantly, these changes include strict limits on disclosing personal information about Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or any individuals in Canada, as well as the names of Canadian entities or corporations, without additional authorizations," said Townsend.

"CSIS welcomes any opportunity to brief elected officials about the threat landscape at any classification that is appropriate."

Bloc leader granted clearance, says party 

Poilievre is the only party leader in the House of Commons without a security clearance.

On Thursday, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet's party confirmed to Radio Canada that he's received the necessary security clearance to review classified national security files. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh received their top-secret security clearances last year.

Blanchet began the process in June, not long after the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) released a heavily redacted document alleging, based on intelligence reports, that some parliamentarians have helped foreign states interfere in Canadian politics.

Top-secret clearance allows Blanchet to read the unredacted version of that report and sit in on future briefings.

"All I want is to make sure before the election that there is no member of Parliament in my caucus which would have been involved in any way with a foreign power," he said back in June.

Singh called the Conservative leader's continued refusal to obtain a security clearance disturbing.

"It is ludicrous to me that someone who claims to want to be the prime minister of this country doesn't want to know of ongoing and serious threats that impact Canadians," he said during a news conference last week.

May has encouraged Poilievre to go through the process saying that "the only way for Canadians to know that the Official Opposition has not been compromised through foreign interference is for its leader to seek and obtain top secret security clearance."