The Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the leader of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, refused to take the steps that would allow him to obtain the necessary security clearance to receive highly classified information, such as access to a list of individuals from his party involved in foreign interference activities or who are vulnerable to foreign interventions.

The statements from the liberal Prime Minister came today during his appearance before the public inquiry committee into foreign interference in Canadian affairs, chaired by Justice Mary Josée Hogue.

“I have the names of several (current) MPs and former candidates from the Conservative Party of Canada participating in foreign interference activities or who are strongly at risk of doing so, or who have clear intelligence information related to foreign interference,” Trudeau said as part of his sworn testimony.

The Prime Minister added that he asked the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS / SCRS) and others to “inform” the Conservative Party leader “so that he could be aware and equipped to make the necessary decisions to protect the safety of his party and its members from attempts at foreign interference and its activities.”

Trudeau stated that Poilievre, whose party constitutes the official opposition in the House of Commons, chose not to receive classified briefings, a decision that the Prime Minister found puzzling.

“The Conservative Party leader's decision not to obtain those classified briefings means that no one in his party, neither he nor anyone else in a position of power, knows the names of these individuals and can take appropriate action,” Trudeau continued.

The Prime Minister added that this also means that no one can defend the individuals concerned if the intelligence information is weak or incomplete or simply contains allegations from a single source.

Poilievre Accuses Trudeau of ‘Lying’

Poilievre had previously defended his choice not to seek the high-level security clearance that would allow him to receive highly classified information, arguing that being briefed on such information in confidential sessions would prevent him from talking about it publicly.

In response to Trudeau's statements today, Poilievre issued a statement calling on the Prime Minister to disclose the names of Conservative MPs who, according to the Prime Minister, collaborated with foreign agents.

“But he won't do it because Justin Trudeau does what he always does: he lies,” wrote the Conservative leader.

The leader of the official opposition added that his chief of staff receives classified briefings and that he has not been informed of any former or current member of the Conservative Party involved in a foreign interference matter.

The chair of the public inquiry committee into foreign interference in Canadian affairs is expected to release her final report by the end of this year. Justice Hogue had previously issued a preliminary report on May 3rd.