Liberal House leader accuses Poilievre of 'hiding something' by refusing security clearance

The Liberals' House leader is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of  "hiding something from Canadians" by refusing to get the national security clearance he needs to review classified documents and learn the names of Conservative parliamentarians allegedly linked to foreign interference.

Posting on social media Thursday afternoon, government House leader Karina Gould wrote that "the Conservative Leader is hiding something from Canadians."

"Does he think he might not be able to pass a security clearance or does he know something and he's trying to hide it? Or is there something that he's trying to protect?" Gould said in an accompanying video.

The accusation, using some of the Liberals' strongest language to date, adds to an already fiery debate in Canadian politics about Poilievre's refusal to obtain a security clearance.

Testifying last week before the inquiry into foreign interference, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he's seen intelligence about Conservative parliamentarians and party members who are engaged in or vulnerable to foreign interference.

Trudeau also veered into partisan territory in his testimony. He accused Poilievre of being "irresponsible" by refusing to go through the process to obtain the top-secret security clearance the prime minister said would allow the Conservative leader to be briefed on allegations concerning his party.

In response, Poilievre accused Trudeau of lying and grandstanding. He has argued against getting that clearance, saying he would be bound by secrecy laws and couldn't speak openly or challenge the government.

In a statement sent to CBC News on Thursday, Conservative spokesperson Sebastian Skamski said Poilievre isn't concerned about going through the security check, and pointed out he's already been through the process as a cabinet minister.

"Submitting private personal information to a security clearance check is not a concern for Mr. Poilievre, nor has he ever expressed that as a concern," Skamski said.

"To the contrary, Mr. Poilievre's objection is that he will be silenced by the Trudeau Liberal government — a view which he has repeatedly stated publicly."

In her video, Gould also pointed to comments Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong made in an interview with the Globe and Mail earlier this week as evidence that Poilievre is worried about going through the process.

The newspaper reported the Conservatives fear that any personal and family information obtained through the security clearance process — which includes background checks on family members, credit and criminal checks and intrusive questions about sexual partners or possible previous drug use — could be used by the government for political purposes.

"I don't trust this prime minister," Chong is quoted by the Globe as saying. "It is a sign of a desperate prime minister who is willing to go to any lengths to stay in power."

In a statement sent to CBC News, Chong said his comments "were a hypothetical response" to a question and "not reflective of any position that Mr. Poilievre or others in the Conservative Party have taken."