Jody Thomas, former intelligence and national security adviser to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, says Canada is 'working towards a healthier relationship' with India after months of strained relations following man's murder of British Columbia.
Thomas made the comments Friday during an interview with CBC News Network. rosemary barton live on his retirement. After two years on the job, Thomas announced he would retire on January 26.
Canada's diplomatic relations with India have been strained since Trudeau accused the Indian government of involvement in the shooting death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and Sikh leader in British Columbia.
India strongly rejected the allegations, causing relations to deteriorate rapidly. Last September, India suspended all visa services to Canada; They resumed two months later.
In October, 41 Canadian diplomats left the country after New Delhi threatened to revoke their diplomatic immunity. These diplomats did not return.
The government has alleged that the Indian government and its intelligence agency were involved in the murder of a citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, on Canadian soil, but some do not believe this is possible. CBC's Adrienne Arsenault examines whether he is capable of what he is accused of and the implications if it is true.
Thomas, who traveled to India to discuss the allegations, said the reaction from Indian officials was “really unfortunate” and a bit “surprised.”
“It is counterproductive because it has damaged relations between Canada and India. We need diplomats on site to issue visas and manage programs on behalf of Canadians and Indians,” added Thomas.
RCMP are investigating the shooting, but more information has come to light since police opened the case. Another US indictment released in late November alleges a foiled plot involving the Indian government to carry out multiple assassinations in North America.
In that indictment, filed in New York, U.S. prosecutors allege that Indian national Nikhil Gupta sent a hitman a video of Nijjar's body and told the killer to “do it quickly.”
After the allegation came to light and several G7 countries lined up behind Canada, Trudeau told CBC it appeared India had become more open to collaborating on the issue.
Thomas said the RCMP ensures that “every 'T' is crossed and 'I' is dotted for successful prosecutions.” »
“We need to be more transparent”
Thomas also spoke out on foreign interference in the election, saying more transparency was needed in the overall record.
In February 2023, top-secret Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) documents were leaked to the Globe and Mail suggesting that China had interfered in the 2021 federal election. These documents also claim that China wanted a Liberal government minority.
A month later, the Globe and Mail published an anonymous opinion piece written by the whistleblower, which claimed that “evidence was beginning to mount that senior officials were unaware of the interference.”
An investigation into foreign interference in the election begins next week. Thomas said that while the public has access to unclassified reports on the subject, “the average Canadian doesn't read them.”
“What has become very clear is that we need to talk [foreign interference] before the election, potentially during the election and after…” Thomas said.
“The first time the panel talks about foreign interference in our elections should not be when there is a problem. “We need to be more transparent.”
When asked if the leaks were beneficial because they prompted authorities to act, Thomas responded.
“I don’t think I can ever agree that there is any benefit to leaks,” he said.
Thomas said the “individuals” who leaked the information “had an opinion about what should be done, or whether the government was not acting, without necessarily knowing what action was being taken.”
“I remain very confident in the RCMP’s ability to find those responsible.”
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