Key Considerations for Panel Decisions
During the general election period, the Panel receives information, including through regular intelligence briefings by Canada’s national security agencies through the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (SITE) Task Force. Based on the intelligence received, the Panel will determine if a threat meets the threshold for a public announcement or if another level of intervention required.
Incident evaluation
Panel threat assessment criteria
- The degree to which the incident(s) undermine(s) Canadians’ ability to have a free and fair election.
- The potential for the incident(s) to undermine the credibility of the election.
- The degree of confidence officials have in the intelligence or information.
Intervention assessment
The level of intervention must consider the context, including:
- The reach, scale, source and lifespan of the incident
- The credibility and novelty of the information
- Whether the information can be self-corrected or has been debunked
- Whether the incident can be attributed to a source
- Proximity to a general election day
- Implications for national security or allies
- Whether the incident could undermine future investigation and law enforcement activities
Response
A Panel announcement provides transparency on what has happened and how Canadians can protect themselves. Specifically, an announcement would explain the incident(s) and any steps Canadians should take to avoid being impacted.
The response can be directed at the perpetrator, affected parties, or the threat itself. It can include efforts to mitigate the threat, deter further attempts, and/or raise public awareness.
A range of interventions are available to the Panel, with the final option being a Panel announcement of election interference. Besides the option of a Panel announcement, the Government of Canada can also respond in other ways:
- Engagement with civil society, academia, political parties, governments, journalists, and/or social media platforms
- Building public and media awareness outside of a public announcement
- Engaging with communities at risk
- Employing threat reduction measures by one of the national security agencies
- Launching a diplomatic response
- Consulting with key players (e.g., Elections Canada, political parties, intelligence, national security, and the RCMP)
- Communicating the impacts of mis- and disinformation on federal programs and services
- Making a public announcement
The Clerk (or full Panel), Heads of Security Agencies, and the Privy Council Office (PCO) have a shared responsibility for the direction and implementation of the identified interventions. Where appropriate, coordination with Elections Canada would also take place.