Investigative journalist Sam Cooper told MPs on the federal Ethics Committee that Prime Minister Mark Carney’s former firm, Brookfield, cozied up to politically connected Chinese entities while he was vice-chair.
Testifying before the standing committee on Access to information, privacy and ethics, investigative journalist Sam Cooper said Brookfield expanded its real estate holdings in China by partnering with individuals tied to the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front Work Department. This department is a key organ Beijing uses to exert overseas influence.
“To get that kind of access in China requires a special kind of connection,” Cooper told MPs. “Brookfield had access to elite real estate investments with individuals linked to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.”
He added that some of Brookfield’s Chinese partnerships were supported by the state-owned Bank of China and involved real estate developments with direct political ties. While not accusing Carney personally of wrongdoing, Cooper highlighted the firm’s increasing involvement with entities close to the Chinese state under Carney’s leadership.
Conservative MP Michael Barrett questioned Cooper on whether Carney’s current role as prime minister warranted closer scrutiny given these previous business ties. Cooper responded by referencing a “controversial” 2023 meeting between Carney and representatives of the Jiangsu Chamber of Commerce in Toronto, describing its links to Chinese influence networks.
“There’s controversy about what really happened in that meeting,” Cooper said. “There have been denials. But the optics are concerning.”
The committee’s study is part of a broader probe into foreign interference in Canada, following revelations about political influence operations by hostile foreign states. Cooper’s remarks fueled opposition calls for greater transparency on how political figures interact with entities tied to authoritarian regimes.
Prime Minister Carney confirmed Monday he expects to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea later this week. This meeting comes as Canada seeks new economic partners following the collapse of trade talks with the United States.
Carney told reporters at the ASEAN summit in Malaysia that while a formal bilateral meeting with Xi has not yet been scheduled, he anticipates a “corridor-style” discussion with the Chinese leader during the APEC forum, which takes place Friday and Saturday.
“I expect we’ll have an opportunity to speak,” Carney said. “We’ll approach it, as always, with clarity and pragmatism.”
He would not confirm whether contentious topics such as human rights or foreign interference would be raised, but maintained that any discussion would be “guided by principle” and focused on economic opportunity.
