(Ottawa) David Johnston, the independent special report appointed in March by Justin Trudeau to examine foreign interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections, is resigning. The hurricane of criticism provoked by his report published on May 23 finally got the better of his desire to complete his mandate, which was to end in October.
His 60-page report was badly received by the Conservative Party, the Bloc Québécois, the NDP and a host of experts because he ruled out the option of holding an independent public inquiry into foreign interference.
His departure comes a few days after his testimony before a parliamentary committee during which he was manhandled by the opposition parties. It also comes 10 days after the House of Commons formally requested that he leave office by adopting a motion to do so sponsored by the NDP. Mr. Johnston had reacted by saying that he had the firm intention to continue his work, arguing that his mandate came from the federal government and not from the House of Commons.
In a letter sent to the prime minister early Friday evening, Johnston said the political climate had become unsustainable, making it impossible to continue his work.
When I assumed the mandate of Independent Special Rapporteur on Foreign Interference, my goal was to help build confidence in our democratic institutions. I find that, given the highly partisan climate surrounding my appointment and my work, my role has had the opposite effect.
Excerpt from David Johnston’s letter
“I therefore hereby submit my resignation, effective no later than the end of June 2023 or as soon as I have submitted a brief final report, which I hope to be able to do before the end of the month”, a he added.
Appointed in March by Justin Trudeau
Johnston, who served as governor general for seven years, was appointed independent special rapporteur by Justin Trudeau in March to look into foreign interference during the last two elections. He was to make recommendations to the government, including on the propriety of holding an independent public inquiry into this sensitive issue.
In his May 23 report, Mr. Johnston acknowledged that foreign interference is a growing phenomenon in Canada. But after going through the secret documents and meeting with intelligence agency officials and political leaders, he concluded that an independent public inquiry would not be helpful on the grounds that much of the work would have to take place behind closed doors due to the sensitivity of national security information.
In principle, he was to hold public hearings starting next month in order to hear in particular the testimonies of members of the Chinese diaspora who are victims of intimidation on the part of the Chinese communist regime. It was also to examine ways to improve the flow of information between CSIS and federal departments and agencies responsible for national security.
In this regard, Mr. Johnston recommends that the Prime Minister appoint another person after consulting the opposition parties.
I encourage you to appoint a respected individual with national security experience to do the work I recommended in my first report. Ideally, you should consult with opposition parties to determine suitable candidates to lead this effort.
Excerpt from David Johnston’s letter
“The thorough and detailed examination of foreign interference, its effects and how to prevent it must be an urgent priority for your government and your Parliament”, he also indicated.
Reacting on behalf of the Trudeau government, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Dominic LeBlanc, deplored the “partisan attacks” that Mr. Johnston has been the target of in recent weeks, particularly from the Conservative Party.
The Conservative Party has criticized Mr. Johnston’s past ties to the Trudeau family and the fact that he was a member of the Trudeau Foundation.
“The partisan attacks launched by the Conservative Party against the former Governor General were unjustified and unacceptable. Democracy demands that we rise above partisan considerations,” he said, while thanking the former Governor General for his long record of service.
Mr. LeBlanc specified that he had received a mandate from the Prime Minister to consult experts and opposition parties on the next steps “and to assess who is best placed to carry out this work. »
A public inquiry is needed, says the opposition
Mr Johnston’s resignation, however, was welcomed by opposition parties.
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre has argued that the only option the Trudeau government has now is to hold a public inquiry.
“For months, Justin Trudeau has been trying to hide the help he received from the communist government in Beijing. He destroyed the reputation of a former governor general to cover up his own refusal to defend Canada against foreign interests and threats. He must end his cover-up, stop hiding and demand a full public inquiry into Beijing’s interference,” he said in an email to The Press.
The Bloc Québécois made the same request.
“The Bloc Québécois salutes this dignified decision. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has no choice but to entrust Parliament with the appointment of a judge who will chair a public and independent commission of inquiry into Chinese interference in Canada,” reacted the leader of the Bloc Québécois. , Yves-François Blanchet, on his Twitter account.
For its part, the NDP said that Mr. Johnston’s resignation was necessary. New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh said he was “a victim of the Liberal government’s mishandling of foreign interference. »
“When we tabled our motion asking that the special rapporteur step down, we said the appearance of bias was too strong to continue. I have always believed that Mr Johnston was an honorable man and today’s decision demonstrates that,” he said.
“The problem from the start was that Mr. Johnston was answering to the Prime Minister and that is why we always ask for a process that is independent of this government and that puts Canadians first,” he added.