Five years after Australia's reckoning with Chinese foreign interference, Canada has its moment

Justin Trudeau has suggested anti-Asian racism was a factor in the initial allegations of foreign interference made against a member of his caucus. (Reuters: Blair Gable)

Canada is in the grips of a political storm over alleged foreign interference from China and as it bears down, one government MP has resigned from the caucus and there are renewed calls for Australian-style laws targeting overseas meddling.

After anonymous intelligence sources made a series of claims alleging the Chinese government had meddled in two national elections and a mayoral race, a majority of Canada's House of Commons voted for an inquiry into foreign interference.