VIA EMAIL: aid@pifi-epie.gc.ca Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in

The Government of Canada has not produced certain unredacted documents On February 8, 2024, Democracy Watch filed written submissions1 following the conclusion of the NSC hearings, in which Democracy Watch asked that the Commission request and obtain the following documents and information from the Privy Council Office (the “PCO”): i. [...] An explanation, in writing, as to why the decision was made to maintain Cabinet confidence over these documents and not provide them in unredacted form to the Commission—especially given that the Commissioner and Commission counsel have been afforded the highest levels of security clearance, and that highly sensitive materials from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (“CSIS”) and other nati. [...] The fact that the PCO has submitted redacted versions of these documents to the Commission was confirmed by the Commission during the NSC hearings. [...] The testimony of the CEO and of the current and former CCEs, as well as the testimony of Conservative MP Michael Chong, also confirmed that the activities of such third parties in party leadership contests are not regulated by the Act. [...] That these are all at-pleasure appointees was confirmed by the testimony of the heads of various federal foreign interference watchdog institutions, and by the statutes that establish the heads and members of each watchdog institution.3 Democracy Watch’s respectful submission is that this taints the enforcement system with at least the appearance of partisan political influence, which impermissibl.