Government’s new review of IRAC does nothing to stop current, conflict-ridden investigation by IRAC of its own failure to complete its investigation in 2018

RCMP also has questionable record of investigating such activities – second fully independent cross-Canada inquiry needed into land purchases by foreigners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, May 19, 2026

OTTAWA – Today, Democracy Watch joined with the Save PEI Association in calling in an open letter to the provincial government and all party leaders in the PEI legislature to work together to stop the current Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC) investigation of land purchases and other activities in PEI by the Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute (GEBIS) and Great Wisdom Buddhist Institute (GWBI) in the past 15 years and, instead, establish an independent inquiry.

The two groups also called for a second independent inquiry, in coordination with the federal government, to investigate national security and potential criminal issues in land purchases by foreigners across Canada.

The government’s new review of IRAC’s role, structure and responsibilities does not address the many outstanding and important questions about IRAC’s past decisions and actions.  Most importantly, a PEI legislative committee determined in October that IRAC didn’t complete its 2018 investigation into the land purchases by GEBIS and GWBI, which makes it clear that IRAC has a systemic conflict of interest and should not be trusted to investigate these land purchases.

As the letter details, IRAC’s current investigation:

•  is compromised by many other apparent conflicts of interest;

•  has only one special counsel from a relatively small labour law firm;

•  has a vague scope that is not comprehensive;

•  has not invited several expert witnesses to testify, and;

•  does not appear to be coordinated with the RCMP.

While the PEI government in October called on the RCMP and FINTRAC to investigate the land purchases and other activities of GEBIS and GWBI, the RCMP’s past track record on investigating the activities of these organizations is weak.  The RCMP issued a press announcement in response to the PEI government’s request for an investigation claiming that it investigated similar accusations previously and found no wrongdoing. However, the RCMP didn’t provide any details, and no one with relevant information was ever contacted by the RCMP.  The RCMP has unfortunately also closed several active investigations in PEI involving immigration fraud and related issues, without any explanation.

Former CSIS and RCMP investigators have also called for a public inquiry.

To ensure an independent, expert and comprehensive review, the government should establish a fully independent, fully-empowered, expert and well-resourced public inquiry to investigate the activities of GEBIS and GWBI, which operate under the umbrella of the multi-billion-dollar, multi-national, integrated monastic and business conglomerate headed by Bliss & Wisdom Monastery Corporation, which multiple reports have alleged has been infiltrated and taken over by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The two citizen groups also called on the PEI government to establish a second provincial public inquiry, in coordination with the federal authorities, also staffed by a truly independent commissioner and investigators having the expertise and resources required to investigate the national security and potential criminal issues and the broader issues of land purchases by foreigners across Canada, and to recommend solutions, as was done by the Cullen Commission in British Columbia.

For both public inquiries to be independent and effective:

1. The inquiry commissioner (or, even better, three commissioners) must not have even an appearance of a conflict of interest concerning the matters to be investigated, and should come from outside of the province, and should be appointed through a merit-based candidate review process;

2. The inquiry must also be staffed with investigators who also must not have even an appearance of a conflict of interest concerning the matters to be investigated, and should also come from outside of the province, and must have the necessary financial, legal and international qualifications and expertise, and be given the funding and technical resources needed to complete a timely, full and detailed investigation of the situation;

3. In addition, given the international structure and activities of the organizations, the inquiry commissioners must retain a forensic investigations firm with international expertise and reach that also must not have even an appearance of a conflict of interest concerning the matters to be investigated and should also come from outside of the province, and;

4. The public should be allowed to participate as interveners.

“It is clear that IRAC has lost the confidence of the public because of its many very questionable past decisions and actions, and only a fully independent, fully transparent public inquiry staffed by experts with the skills and resources needed to investigate a multibillion dollar, multinational religious and business conglomerate will arrive at the truth and ensure the islanders truly understand the plans of these China-connected organizations,” said Jan Matejcek of the Save PEI Association.

“The PEI government, its land transfer approval commission and the RCMP have all failed for the past 15 years to stop land purchases in the province and other questionable activities by organizations allegedly connected to China’s government, and a fully independent, fully empowered, expert and well-resourced public inquiry is the only effective way to investigate why this has happened, and what can be done to finally reverse this land grab and stop these activities,” said Duff Conacher, Co-founder of Democracy Watch.  “A second fully independent, fully empowered, expert and well-resourced public inquiry is also needed into land purchases by foreigners across Canada and other forms of foreign interference in Canada’s economy.”

The Hogue Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions issued a negligently weak, cover-up final report at the end of January recommending only a few of many key changes needed to stop foreign interference in Canadian political processes.

Another comprehensive bill is needed to close the many huge loopholes ignored by Commissioner Hogue, and left open by Bill C-70, which was passed by the House and Senate in five weeks in May-June 2024, but is full of loopholes.  Almost two years later, the federal Liberal government has still failed to establish the Foreign Influence Registry (FIR) to require foreign agents to disclose their activities, only recently appointed the new Foreign Influence Transparency (FIT) Commissioner (who, under Bill C-70, will lack independence and key investigation powers and public accountability requirements).

Click here to see the Backgrounder that summarizes all the loopholes and weak enforcement problems that make foreign interference legal and easy to do across Canada at every level of government.

Click here to see summary list of 17 key changes that need to be made to stop foreign interference.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Jan Matejcek
Cell: 902-394-3733
Save PEI Association
Email: [email protected]

Duff Conacher, Co-founder of Democracy Watch
Tel: 613-241-5179
Cell: 416-546-3443
Email: [email protected]

Democracy Watch’s Stop Foreign Interference in Canadian Politics Campaign