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Former national security<\/a> officials are expressing skepticism over Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre\u2019s<\/a> refusal to receive classified briefings on foreign interference.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For months Poilievre has refused to obtain top-secret clearance so officials with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) could share intelligence on foreign interference with him.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, just after Justice Marie-Jos\u00e9e Hogue released her report on foreign interference, Poilievre\u2019s office revealed he is also refusing to take briefings under CSIS\u2019s \u201cthreat reductions measures\u201d (TRM) mandate \u2014 which would allow the agency to share some information with the Conservative leader without him first obtaining security clearance.<\/p>\n Poilievre has long argued that receiving classified intelligence would prevent him from holding the government to account on foreign interference. But ex-national security officials who spoke to Global News are skeptical of that position.<\/p>\n In a statement, Poilievre\u2019s office maintained accepting the briefings would effectively \u201cgag\u201d the Conservative leader.<\/p>\n Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cOfficials indicated that should Mr. Poilievre receive the TRM briefing, he would be legally prevented from speaking with anyone other than legal counsel about the briefing and would be able to take action only as expressly authorized by the government, rendering him unable to effectively use any relevant information he received,\u201d Poilievre\u2019s spokesperson, Sebastian Skamski, wrote in a statement.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is clearly unacceptable, and entirely contrary to the government\u2019s supposed objective of enabling the person briefed to reduce risk.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t