Two Canadian Members of Parliament (MPs) have testified before the Foreign Interference Commission, revealing that they were targeted by Chinese hackers in 2021. Liberal MP John McKay and Conservative MP Garnett Genuis stated that the cyberattack was directed at 18 Canadians who are part of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), an international coalition of parliamentarians working against Beijing’s human rights abuses.
The MPs emphasized the significance of IPAC’s efforts in countering the communist regime’s abuses and expressed concerns about attracting further attention from China. McKay, who currently chairs the House of Commons National Defence Committee and the Canada-U.S. Permanent Joint Board on Defence, believes his various roles in Parliament and advocacy with IPAC on sensitive issues made him a target for Chinese spies.
Genuis echoed this sentiment, stating that he believes the cyberattack was a generalized targeting of IPAC members due to their advocacy on human rights issues such as Taiwan and Uyghurs. IPAC is a legislative network focused on addressing China-related matters with a realistic approach prioritizing human rights.
Following the cyberattack, IPAC was alerted by the FBI but legislators outside of the United States were not directly informed due to sovereignty concerns. Genuis raised concerns about which government department should be responsible for informing victims in such cases, emphasizing that parliamentarians should be kept informed to ensure their protection.
Both MPs stressed that it is crucial for governments to communicate threats to parliamentarians promptly. Genuis expressed disappointment over not being informed about important information regarding his own safety and communication with others, calling it a significant failure.
The testimony provided by McKay and Genuis sheds light on how Chinese hackers targeted Canadian MPs involved in international efforts against Beijing’s human rights abuses. The incident highlights both the importance of coalitions like IPAC and ongoing challenges related to cybersecurity threats faced by lawmakers worldwide.
