Prime Minister Justin Trudeau once again rejects the idea of a public inquiry into alleged foreign interference in elections in Canada, a demand now shared by all opposition parties in Ottawa.
The New Democratic Party (NDP) and the Bloc Québécois both tabled a motion on this subject on Wednesday before a parliamentary committee. The leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Pierre Poilievre, also agreed with this idea, provided that the investigation is not conducted by “another member of the Liberal establishment”.
” It must be [un processus] truly independent and public. Independent, that means that all the parties should agree on the appointment of the commissioner, “demanded the leader of the official opposition in the House of Commons, Wednesday, at the entrance of a federal parliamentary committee which deepens that question.
Pierre Poilievre clarified that such a commissioner should not be a former president of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation. A criticism of the legitimacy of ex-deputy minister Morris Rosenberg, the author of a federal report published Tuesday which concludes that the result of the 2021 election was not tainted by foreign interference. Mr. Rosenberg led the Prime Minister’s Family Foundation between 2014 and 2018.
The idea of a public inquiry was first promoted by the Bloc Québécois and the NDP. The Conservative Party of Canada (CCP) has so far asked instead to summon Justin Trudeau’s chief of staff, Katie Telford, to appear before the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (PROC).
Election interference allegations
The NDP has repeatedly opposed Ms.me Telford, blocking various invite attempts in February. The latest revelations of Chinese interference in the 2019 and 2021 Canadian elections, published by the Global News network and the daily Globe and Mailmade him change his mind.
The latest chapter in the case, released Tuesday, alleges that the Chinese Communist Party tried to fund a statue of Pierre Trudeau in Montreal through a Chinese businessman present at Liberal fundraising campaigns. The Prime Minister also had to defend one of his Toronto MPs, Han Dong, “an extraordinary member of [son] crew “. Mr. Dong was said to have received help from the Chinese consulate during his local appointment, according to unnamed sources quoted by Overall. This information could not be independently verified by The duty.
Justin Trudeau clarified on Monday that “it is not for unelected security officials to dictate to political parties who can and cannot run. When pressed with questions by reporters, he linked questions about his MP’s loyalty to rising anti-Asian racism.
The prime minister expressed no sympathy for the idea of a public inquiry Wednesday during a press briefing from British Columbia. Instead, he defended the processes in place, and touted his record of protecting against foreign interference, whether from China, Russia or Iran.
“We have created a lot of different institutions and tools so that our national security experts can do the necessary follow-up, reassure Canadians [et] ensure that our elections remain clean,” he repeated.
Voting Thursday
NDP MP Peter Julian had just tabled a motion before the PROC committee in Ottawa. The text formally asks the House of Commons to launch a public inquiry. It requires the presence of ministers, Mme Telford, but also of his counterpart in the Conservative Party, as well as the national campaign managers of the Liberal and Conservative parties.
The Bloc Québécois responded with its own version of the request for a public inquiry, which specifies an agreement between the parties to appoint a commissioner. The motions will be debated and voted on Thursday before the parliamentary committee, where opposition MPs are in the majority.
The prime minister’s national security and intelligence adviser, Jody Thomas, was also among the committee’s guests on Wednesday. She did not confirm any details of the various media revelations. Members may have heard that Justin Trudeau regularly receives reports on foreign interference.
The leader of the Bloc Québécois, Yves-François Blanchet, reiterated on Wednesday his request for a public inquiry into foreign interference, which he said would be beneficial for all political parties. He added that he considers the Prime Minister’s reference to racism in this case “outlandish”.