The oppositions’ questions will remain unanswered for the summer. Testifying before a parliamentary committee on Thursday, federal Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc and the Prime Minister’s National Security and Intelligence Advisor Nathalie Drouin refused to say how many Cabinet documents were withheld under the ministerial secrecy in the investigation into foreign interference.
Earlier this month, the annual report of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians revealed that the federal government is trying to avoid disclosing information by “inappropriately” withholding more than a thousand documents.
“The Committee is concerned that some departments and agencies may inappropriately claim information to be Cabinet confidences to avoid disclosing it to the Committee,” the document read.
Since then, opposition parties have asked the Liberal government to disclose how many documents it refused to provide as part of the investigation.
Minister LeBlanc and Mr.me Drouin both explained that the investigation led by Judge Marie-Josée Hogue had received four long memos. But neither wanted to give a precise figure on the number of documents retained.
“The Prime Minister and the government are not hiding anything from the Hogue Commission,” Minister LeBlanc defended in committee. The editorials you referred to and again, if colleagues want technical explanations, Ms. Drouin, I’m sure she can provide them. The withholding of documents concerns professional secrecy between client and lawyer or Cabinet secrecy. It is a fundamental principle of our Westminster parliamentary system.”
In its report, the Committee mentions “more than 1,000 documents withheld” or whose disclosure was refused, in whole or in part because they were Cabinet confidences.
Conservative MP Michael Cooper said it was “staggering” that this government, which promised to be open and transparent with the Hogue commission, is now refusing to provide the documents the judge says she needs to complete her work.
Ms. Drouin said breaking or relaxing rules that protect ministerial secrecy in order to respond to allegations of foreign interference would be a victory for malicious actors trying to interfere in Canadian politics.
The saga should resume when the parliamentary session resumes in Ottawa in September. Judge Hogue’s final report is due at the end of the year.
With The Canadian Press