ALARMING ESCALATION OF ESPIONAGE & FOREIGN INTERFERENCE

   OTTAWA — Canada’s spy agency has noted an “alarming escalation” of espionage and foreign interference since the beginning of the pandemic, with countries like China threatening or intimidating people in Canada into namely supporting a specific electoral candidate.
   “These activities are real, they’re persistent, they’re increasing, and it’s not hypothetical, we see it everyday in our work. And these activities will be targeting all level of governments, whether it’s federal, municipal, provincial,” veteran CSIS intelligence analyst Noura Hayek told attendees of the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws conference Monday.
   Hayek, who now heads one of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service’s (CSIS) public outreach units, described foreign interference as one of the “most serious” and “most complex” threats currently facing Canada. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Russia are at the forefront of the threat, she said.