Foreign election interference a reality, says Trudeau after Putin re-election
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada needs to be vigilant about protecting the integrity of its electoral systems from foreign interference.
He offered that assessment in a Toronto press conference in response to questions about the influence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was re-elected this week to six more years in power.
In some of his sharpest criticism yet of the Russian leader, Trudeau says Putin needs to start playing a more positive role in the world on a variety of fronts — from Ukraine, to Syria as well as answering for Russia’s role in the nerve gas attack in Britain two weeks ago.
Trudeau said Wednesday the heavy use of social media and interference by foreign actors are the new reality in elections.