A ‘handful’ of people barred from House of Commons jobs over foreign influence concerns

A senior House of Commons security official says two potential employees in the last six months have been denied employment in Parliament over concerns of foreign state influence.

Patrick McDonnell, the sergeant-at-arms and corporate security officer with the House of Commons, told a federal inquiry Tuesday that he has denied employment to a “handful” of people over the last five years because they were suspected of being influenced by a foreign state.

McDonnell also told the foreign interference commission that there has also been a sharp increase in secondary interviews with prospective staffers, referred to as “resolution of doubt” interviews, in recent years.

Resolution of doubt interviews are conducted when preliminary security screening and “loyalty to Canada” investigations raise questions about a potential employee. They involve McDonnell or his staff meeting with the prospective staffer to clear up any lingering questions about their background.

“It’s increased significantly. I believe in 2019 we conducted 10 resolution of doubt interviews. In 2023, 128 approximately,” McDonnell said.

McDonnell was first named sergeant-at-arms, an appointment by the federal cabinet, in 2019 and re-appointed earlier this year. The position carries a number of ceremonial duties, but also works with the Parliamentary Protective Service on House of Commons security.

McDonnell was speaking during the second phase of the inquiry, led by Quebec appeal court judge Marie-Josée Hogue, into the ongoing issue of foreign interference in Canada’s democratic institutions.

Hogue has so far determined that while both the 2019 and 2021 general elections saw instances of foreign state influence campaigns, those activities did not compromise the integrity