(OTTAWA) Former Governor General David Johnston says he will help determine his own mandate as special rapporteur on foreign interference in the recent federal election.
In a statement to The Canadian Press, Johnston said he planned to work with officials to finalize his assignments for his role, before making it public.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has asked the former governor general and legal scholar to investigate allegations of foreign interference in the last two federal elections.
Mr. Johnston says he is privileged to have accepted this appointment, during which he will make recommendations to help protect and maintain confidence in Canadian democracy.
Opposition parties are divided on the appointment of a special rapporteur.
The Conservatives believe Mr. Johnston is too close to Justin Trudeau and the leader of the Bloc Québécois, Yves-Francois Blanchet, has said that Mr. Johnston has already “split an admiration for the Chinese regime”.
While the NDP has expressed support for Mr. Johnston’s nomination, it has joined the Conservatives and the Bloc in continuing to call for an immediate public inquiry into the allegations of foreign interference instead.