Possible foreign interference: Christine Fréchette ‘very concerned’

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette is calling on her federal counterpart, Mark Carney, over possible foreign interference from the United States in the Quebec election. She said she is “very concerned.”

Fréchette said Friday that her team informed her in recent days about documents posted online that raise the possibility of interference in the Quebec election through the Parti Québécois.

“Let’s clarify one thing: without this morning’s media reports, I would not be talking to you about any of this today,” Fréchette said in a statement.

“Foreign interference threats are taken very seriously and are concerning. As of today, we have received no information confirming that interference has been observed in our electoral process.”

Quebecor media reported Friday that Ottawa warned the Quebec government about possible U.S. foreign interference in the election campaign.

According to the reports, a senior official in Fréchette’s government received documents from the federal government in early September from a U.S. think tank called the Defense Analyses and Research Corporation, or DARC. The group reportedly proposes providing financial support to the Parti Québécois.

Fréchette could not say whether she was aware of the documents at the beginning of September.

“My team informed me a few days ago. I don’t have the date for you. It just came in,” she said.

Fréchette said her party informed the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, or CSIS, about the documents.

The premier also could not clearly explain why she waited until Friday to raise the issue with Carney if she had been aware of the information for several days.

“It’s becoming a matter of public interest,” she said, adding that the timing was not politically motivated.

Fréchette also said the United States approached Quebec last spring to try to negotiate amid the ongoing tariff dispute.

“When my team informed me of that, I closed the door immediately. Because for me, it is not possible to think that Quebec could sign an agreement with the United States,” she said.

Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said she had no evidence of foreign interference.

“I don’t believe there are measures against our democracy at this time,” she said.

Anand, said at a news conference in Ottawa that the federal government is taking the issue very seriously. 

“Protecting our democracy is of the utmost importance to our country,” she said. 

She added that she doesn’t believe that there is something affecting Canada’s democracy at this time, but that when she “sees something,” she raises it with her counterparts, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 

“Right now I do not have proof,” she said.

The Quebec election is scheduled for Oct. 5.

— This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews