The Canadian government was slow in responding to efforts by China and India to interfere in the country's elections but their outcome was unaffected by the meddling, an official probe said in a final report released on Tuesday.

An inquiry into foreign interference in Canada’s recent elections is calling on intelligence agencies and the federal government to urgently reform how they respond to meddling by China, India and other state actors before the next national vote.

The Canadian government's response to foreign interference — notably by China — was at times slow and poorly coordinated, a public commission concluded on Tuesday. Ottawa "took too long to act, and coordination was not always optimal" to counter threats, commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue told a news conference.