The Conservative Party demanded on Sunday that Justin Trudeau’s chief of staff explain herself to members of the Commons following revelations that the Prime Minister’s Office ignored warnings about Chinese interference in the Canadian elections.
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According to a Global News report on Friday, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) warned the Liberals three weeks before the 2019 general election that it was investigating one of its candidates, Han Dong. CSIS determined that the man, elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2021 as federal MP for Don Valley North, was part of a group of 11 candidates from the Toronto area whose candidacies were supported by China.
CSIS reportedly went so far as to recommend that Han Dong’s candidacy be rejected by the Liberal Party, the sources told Global News.
“It would be more than outrageous if the prime minister of our country were informed that one of his liberal candidates has been compromised by the Chinese Communist Party and that he categorically refuses to do the right thing,” reacted Sunday. Conservative MP Michael Cooper.
Mr. Cooper demanded that Mr. Trudeau’s chief of staff, Katie Telford, be subpoenaed to appear before the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs to respond to the allegations and clarify what the Prime Minister’s Office knows about Chinese interference.
The Globe and Mail and Global News have put the Liberal government in hot water in recent weeks by reporting information from CSIS regarding alleged Chinese aid to some Liberal candidates in 2019 and 2021.
Mr. Trudeau has since reacted by assuring that the integrity of the elections was not affected. He also rebuked CSIS, criticizing the leaking of information to the media.
“But with these latest media reports, Justin Trudeau and his government can no longer run or hide from these allegations. They must tell the truth,” protested Michael Cooper.