Political Science associate professor Andrea Lawlor testifies at Canadian Commission on Foreign Interference

On October 24, Andrea Lawlor, associate professor in the Department of Political Science and Master of Public Policy in Digital Society, presented at the Policy Roundtable for the Canadian Commission on Foreign Interference, chaired by the Honourable Justice Marie-Josée Hogue. Lawlor testified on the role of third parties in Canadian elections, contributing to the Commission’s work on studying risks posed by foreign interference to the federal campaign finance environment.

In her testimony, Lawlor highlighted the importance of transparency and closing loopholes in the current legislative infrastructure. Drawing on her previous research in the area, Professor Lawlor noted the comparative security of our existing legislative regime against foreign threats, and encouraged a careful tailoring of legislative change to balance insulation against the risk of foreign interference with the preservation of free expression in democratic elections.

View the hearing on the inquiry’s website. (Lawlor first appears at 14:40).