Why does Poilivre Not Have Security Clearance?

Key takeaways:

• Pierre Poilievre is the only major federal party leader without top-secret security clearance. He has repeatedly refused briefings that would help him understand threats like foreign interference.

  
  

• His choice limits his ability to respond to national security risks. Experts say it’s dangerous for a leader who wants to be Prime Minister to ignore briefings meant to protect Canada’s democracy.

  
  

• Most Canadians — including many Conservative voters — think leaders should get security clearance. This isn’t just about politics, it’s about being prepared to lead and keep the country safe.

All federal party leaders in Canada are encouraged to get a top-secret security clearance. It’s not just a formality — it allows leaders to access classified briefings about threats to national security, including foreign interference. The Liberal, NDP, Bloc, and Green party leaders have all obtained their clearances.

Pierre Poilievre has not.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) offered Poilievre a modified briefing in late 2024 that wouldn’t require a full clearance. But his office turned it down. The reason? According to his spokesperson, the conditions would have prevented Poilievre from talking publicly about what he learned or taking action without government approval.

CSIS said the briefing was part of a “threat reduction measure.” It would have included information about possible foreign interference targeting Conservative politicians. But it wouldn’t have covered allegations raised by Prime Minister Trudeau about interference involving members of Poilievre’s party. Trudeau had earlier said intelligence services flagged several current and former Conservative politicians as being at high risk of foreign influence.

Poilievre argues that getting clearance would tie his hands — that he wouldn’t be able to criticize the government or speak freely about foreign threats. But former national security officials disagree. They say access to classified information helps party leaders understand the threats Canada faces.

Without it, they say, leaders are flying blind.

A recent survey by the Angus Reid Institute shows most Canadians agree.

Seven in ten think all party leaders should have a security clearance. That includes nearly half of Conservative voters. It’s also worth noting that Poilievre did hold a cabinet post under Stephen Harper, which likely required a previous level of clearance.

Wesley Wark, a national security expert, points out that Poilievre’s stance isn’t new. He also refused to review classified parts of a 2023 report on foreign interference. That decision has limited his ability to respond to future reports and allegations.

At the end of the day, this isn’t about political strategy. It’s about readiness to govern. Security briefings are not just red tape. They’re how party leaders — especially those who may soon form government — stay informed about the real threats facing the country.

Poilievre's Cozy Relationship with Loblaw's Lobbyist

Key takeaways:

• Pierre Poilievre’s top advisor, Jenni Byrne, is a registered lobbyist for Loblaws. At the same time, Poilievre has publicly attacked grocery CEOs over high food prices.

  
  

• Poilievre and Byrne share a long personal and professional history, including a past romantic relationship. Byrne remains one of the most powerful people in his campaign and the Conservative Party.

  
  

• This close connection raises serious questions about conflicts of interest. While Poilievre claims to fight for lower grocery bills, his inner circle is tied to one of the biggest food retailers in the country.

For more than a year now, alarm bells have been raised about the longtime relationship between Pierre Poilievre and his most-senior advisor, Jenni Byrne.

In a recent in-depth look at Byrne by Maclean's, she was described as: "The ruthless tactician behind Pierre Poilievre's campaign has spent decades shaping Canadian conservatism from behind the scenes. This year's election will be her greatest achievement—or her undoing."

Poilievre and Byrne's relationship is not just professional; they were at one point described as "common law."

As Politico describes it:

"But her relationship with Poilievre has a different dynamic. Their background includes a long-term romantic relationship, a bond once described on Poilievre's Wikipedia page as 'common law' — a suggestion that things were serious."

While they may no longer be romantically involved, there is no doubt that Jenni Byrne remains in the highest levels of influence in the Poilievre campaign and the Conservative Party. This is well known and well reported. What has gotten much less attention, despite many attempts to raise the alarm, is what Byrne is doing with her lobbying firm Jenni Byrne + Associates.

Byrne's lobby firm lists food-giant Loblaws as a client, which as former PM Trudeau pointed out in February 2024: "Pierre Poilievre has been standing up for months now pretending he cares about high grocery prices faced by Canadians... [but] It turns out that his top adviser is working as a lobbyist for Loblaws. I think Mr. Poilievre owes some explanations to Canadians."

You can see the connections between Byrne, Poilievre and Loblaws here on this extensively researched interactive map: Poilievre Mapped: His Inner Circle of Lobbyists and Right-wing Activists

Mapping Poilievre's Inner Circle of Lobbyists and Corporate Elite

Credit: DeSmog.com

Key takeaways:

• Pierre Poilievre is closely connected to a network of corporate lobbyists, tech platforms, and oil industry insiders. Many of these figures hold influence within his party’s leadership and campaign structure.

  
  

• Despite claiming to fight for working-class Canadians, Poilievre’s inner circle includes companies accused of price-gouging, polluting, and spreading disinformation. This includes clients like Loblaws, Koch Industries, Enbridge, and platforms like Rumble and X Corp.

  
  

• A detailed map reveals how lobbyists and political operatives with ties to Poilievre are shaping his path to power. Their influence raises serious concerns about whose interests will come first if he becomes Prime Minister.

A new extensive and well-researched "power map" has been published showing the intricate ties between Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre and corporations. Loblaws, Canadian Gas Association, Elon Musk's XCorp, Facebook, Tik Tok, tobacco-giant Rothmans Benson and Hedges... the list goes on.

You can see the full map here: Poilievre Mapped: His Inner Circle of Lobbyists and Right-wing Activists

Most noteabley for me would be the ties between senior members of the Conservative Party's National Council (the party's main governing body, kind of like the RNC or DNC in the US.

Journalist Geoff Dembicki writes:

"Using the map, it’s clear that the Conservative Party’s National Council, the party’s highest authority on governance matters, is a hotbed for corporate lobbyists. That isn’t a coincidence, as Conservative party members several years ago voted down a resolution barring lobbyists from the council, as The Breach reported.

As a result, the organization has members such as Aaron Scheewe, managing director at the lobby group Capitol Hill Group, whose clients include X Corp. — the social media platform formerly known as Twitter — as well as MBDA Missile Systems and the Canadian International Pharmacy Association."

You can go here to read the entire story and play around with the interactive map DeSmog has created.