The West Block – Episode 30, Season 13

THE WEST BLOCK
Episode 30, Season 13
Sunday, April 7, 2024

Host: Mercedes Stephenson

Guests:
Steven Chase, The Globe and Mail
Dick Fadden, Former National Security Advisor
Retired Ltd.-Gen. Roméo Dallaire, Former UN Assistance Mission
for Rwanda Force Commander

Location:
Ottawa Studio

Mercedes Stephenson: Declassified summaries of top secret intelligence documents, attempts to funnel $250 thousand and what was said about the two Michaels. Stunning testimony from the foreign interference inquiry is on the show this week.

I’m Mercedes Stephenson, and The West Block starts now.

David Vigneault, CSIS Director: “Disinformation now is in the public domain.”

Mercedes Stephenson: The head of Canada’s spy agency takes the stand, revealing critical information about CSIS’ concerns on what foreign operatives were up to in the last Canadian elections.

And, on this sombre anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, General Roméo Dallaire tells us key actors in that slaughter are currently hiding out in Canada.

The public inquiry into foreign interference is back and it has been a big week. For the first time, we’re learning the details of what intelligence exactly the government had on the issue. The director of CSIS and the commissioner of the RCMP both testified about significant and numerous attempts by foreign governments to interfere in our democracy, from propaganda to China’s attempt to funnel about $250 thousand in cash to influence Canadian politics.

And we learned new details about independent MP Han Dong and the comments he allegedly made about the two Michaels. A CSIS document alleged details of a phone call between Dong and China’s consul general in Toronto. Dong testified that he didn’t recall making the statements about the two