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The release of Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue's final report has sent ripples through Canada’s political and advocacy landscapes, offering both a roadmap to safeguard electoral integrity and exposing the unresolved vulnerabilities of diaspora communities. With 51 recommendations geared toward ensuring transparency in future elections, the findings underscore a critical need for the federal government to act decisively ahead of the next national vote.

Yet, amidst calls for change, concern grows over the report’s limited scope, which fails to fully confront the insidious reach of foreign regimes repressing critics on Canadian soil.

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At the heart of Hogue's report is a stark acknowledgment: democracy in Canada faces persistent threats from foreign interference. The document scrutinized the impact of transnational interference during the 2019 and 2021 federal elections, with a particular focus on Beijing’s alleged efforts to sway outcomes in its favor. However, the report is not a condemnation meant to linger in the archives; rather, it is a call to action.

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For NDP MP Jenny Kwan, however, the registry and Hogue’s recommendations are only part of the solution. Having been personally targeted by Chinese agents for her outspoken stance on human rights, Kwan has called attention to the darker, often overlooked dimensions of foreign interference. As she pointed out, regimes such as China’s do not merely meddle in elections—they exploit proxies to silence opposition voices abroad and intimidate diaspora communities. From veiled threats to coordinated smear campaigns, the tactics often leave those affected feeling isolated and unprotected. Kwan’s criticism of Hogue’s report zeroes in on its failure to adequately address these realities. While the commissioner aptly described transnational repression as a "genuine scourge," the issue ultimately fell outside the inquiry’s mandate, leaving critical gaps in the government’s response strategy.