(Ottawa) The commissioner of the public and independent inquiry into foreign interference, Judge Marie-Josée Hogue, promises to give more details on the schedule of her work, including hearings, as of November 10.
“These hearings should take place at the beginning of 2024 and in the fall of 2024,” his office said in a press release on Thursday, recalling that the work will take place in two phases.
Likewise, it was emphasized, as was already known, that a first report must be submitted at the end of February. A final report should follow by the end of 2024.
“Establishing an independent public inquiry, particularly when it concerns questions of national security, is complex work,” the judge argued in the same press release.
She also reiterates that she must decide between what can be made public and what will remain confidential, in consideration of sensitive information. “This is a difficult balance to find,” summarized the commissioner, who insists on her desire to maximize, as far as possible, the information disclosed.
His team indicated that, on November 10, “interested parties” will be able to come forward with requests since a website will be launched. Further details of the commission’s “work plan” will then be made available.
The Minister of Public Safety, Dominic LeBlanc, announced in September the appointment of Judge Hogue to lead this commission of inquiry. She took office on September 18.
Months of negotiations
The announcement by Justin Trudeau’s Liberals of such an investigation followed months of talks with opposition parties.
Mr. LeBlanc, also Minister of Democratic Institutions, assured that the commissioner of the public inquiry will have access to all relevant cabinet confidential documents.
As early as March, all opposition parties united so that a majority of deputies requested, through several motions, the holding of a commission of inquiry.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau initially left it in the hands of a special rapporteur, former Governor General David Johnston, to decide in favor or not of a commission of inquiry. The latter dismissed the idea in a preliminary report before resigning in June.
Opposition parties accused him of partiality, in appearance or reality, and of closeness to the prime minister and his family.
After Mr. Johnston’s resignation, Mr. LeBlanc reached out to other political parties to find common ground on the way forward.
Allegations of interference by China
The issue of foreign interference has attracted attention for about a year, when the Global network and the daily The Globe and Mail began publishing a series of reports on allegations of activities carried out by Beijing.
For example, Global reported, citing unnamed intelligence sources, that the prime minister was warned of a broad alleged effort of Chinese interference in the 2019 election campaign, including funds allegedly affected by at least 11 candidates.
Mr. Johnston concluded, in his preliminary report, that “the [République populaire de Chine] used proxies and attempted to influence numerous liberal and conservative candidates in various subtle ways.” However, according to him, “nothing allows us to conclude that the 11 candidates worked or are working in concert [c’est-à-dire comme un “réseau”] or that they understood the intentions of the agents.”
Reports from the Globe and Mail also revealed that conservative Michael Chong was targeted by Beijing in an attempt to intimidate him. This led to the expulsion of a Chinese diplomat who was in Canada, Zhao Wei.
The commission, according to its mandate, will not be limited to the activities of Beijing and will have to take into consideration those of “Russia and other foreign state or non-state actors,” Minister LeBlanc has repeatedly emphasized.
Since then, Mr. Trudeau revealed in the House on September 18 that Canadian intelligence services were investigating “a possible link” between the Indian government and the assassination in British Columbia of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh leader, in last June. It was the same day that Commissioner Hogue took office.
The Prime Minister mentioned “credible allegations”, which exacerbated tensions between India and Canada. New Delhi called the allegations “absurd and motivated” by politics.