Trudeau Absent From Expanded Military Pact with Allies Against China

The United States, Britain, and Australia move forward on an expanded military pact, “AUKUS,” while Canada’s absence from that group indicates a serious problem. Especially after a flurry of recent media reports citing secret intelligence documents alleging China attempted to meddle in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 elections that helped Trudeau get elected.

On Monday, US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met at a San Diego naval base to discuss the trilateral agreement’s next steps, dubbed “AUKUS” after the three countries involved.

In response to growing concerns about China’s actions in the Indo-Pacific region, the next steps include formalizing American and British plans to assist Australia in developing a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.

Justin Trudeau has downplayed the significance of AUKUS to Canada, claiming that Ottawa is not in the market for nuclear-powered submarines, even though others have lamented Canada’s absence from the treaty.

Vice-Admiral Bob Auchterlonie, a senior Canadian Armed Forces commander, told the CBC that he is concerned that Canada will not have access to the same cutting-edge technology as three of its closest allies.

Some see Canada’s exclusion as proof that its allies do not believe Justine Trudeau is serious about countering Chinese ambitions, despite releasing a new Indo-Pacific strategy late last year.

Former Canadian ambassador to China David Mulroney credited Australia with initiating AUKUS after seriously considering its future as a middle power in a world — and region — that China seeks to dominate.

Mulroney stated that this reflects Australia’s more realistic and innovative approach to diplomacy and Canberra’s willingness to invest the necessary resources in making such a partnership a reality.

Canada on sidelines as U.S., Britain, Australia move ahead on new security deal https://t.co/feNuOSMea7 “…the U.S., Britain and Australia are all spending two or more per cent of their national gross domestic product on defence, compared to less than 1.3 per cent in Canada”

— David Mulroney (@David_Mulroney) March 13, 2023

The exact figures are unknown, but Australia is expected to spend billions of dollars as part of the deal to purchase new submarines. The United Kingdom and the United States are also expected to contribute funds to the agreement for technology development, training, and other purposes.

Defense analyst David Perry of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute noted that the United States, Britain, and Australia all spend 2% or more of their national GDP on defense, compared to less than 1.3 percent in Canada.

Australis also have firm plans to build new submarines, whereas Trudeau has yet to commit to replacing the Royal Canadian Navy’s four troubled Victoria-class vessels, let alone begin planning for a new fleet. Canadian military leaders, including Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre, have repeatedly emphasized the importance of submarines.

Canadians Believe China Meddled in Getting Trudeau Elected

Meanwhile, a recent poll shows two-thirds of Canadians believe China attempted to meddle in the recent elections that returned Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberals to power.

More than half of Canadians believe the alleged meddling seriously threatens democracy. A similar proportion believes Trudeau’s response to the brewing scandal has been too soft.

While supporters of the main opposition Conservatives strongly believe in Chinese interference, a survey released Wednesday by the Angus Reid Institute found majority support for the notion among supporters of all parties.

Friends and foes: Most Canadians say Ottawa should approach China as a ‘threat’ or ‘enemy’https://t.co/QXVXa09G2n pic.twitter.com/fJsFag1IH4

— Angus Reid Institute (@angusreidorg) March 10, 2023

“The political aspect of this is undeniable,” Angus Reid President Shachi Kurl said via email, referring to Conservatives’ belief that China denied them an election victory in 2021. “This is significant because it risks further undermining trust in the election process.”

32% of respondents said China tried to meddle in recent Canadian elections, while 33% said it probably did. Only 6% said unequivocally no to the question.

A bipartisan group released a study on the integrity of the last national election, in which Trudeau won a third term but fell short of a parliamentary majority that would have given him free rein to pursue the Liberal government’s agenda.

“National security agencies saw attempts at foreign interference, but not enough to impact electoral integrity,” the panel concluded.

On the other hand, Angus Reid discovered that 42% of Conservative voters believed the 2021 election was “stolen” due to Chinese interference, compared to only 2% of those supporting left-wing parties.

While Trudeau and Chinese President Xi Jinping have clashed publicly, the Liberals are seen as more open to doing business with the Asian superpower than the Conservatives, who are tough on human rights and national security.

China maintains that it does not interfere in Canada’s internal affairs and has warned the northern country to stop “smearing” Beijing’s government with unfounded allegations.

According to Kurl, it’s too early to tell whether the scandal will impact Trudeau long-term. “These data provide an early directional arrow in terms of expecting the Prime Minister and his government to be seen as taking this issue more seriously,” she said.

According to the poll, 53% of respondents believe Trudeau’s response to the allegations has been insufficient, and they want Canada to take further action. Approximately 64% believe Canada does not emphasize national security and defense enough.

When asked if Trudeau’s government is “afraid to stand up to China,” 69% agreed.

According to Global News and the Globe and Mail, Trudeau received secret intelligence briefings saying China tried to get certain candidates elected to parliament and preferred his Liberals to govern the country over the Conservatives.

The prime minister has called the stories false but has declined to elaborate on what he is disputing. According to the reports, China spread misinformation to harm certain candidates and directed money and volunteers toward people it wanted to see elected.

A parliamentary committee is investigating the matter and will hear testimony from government witnesses, including Trudeau’s national security adviser, Jody Thomas, later Wednesday.

The Angus Reid survey was conducted online between February 23 and 25 among 1,622 Canadian adults. According to the firm, a probability sample of this size would have a margin of error of 2 percentage points 19 times out of 20.