(Ottawa) Unlike Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who questioned in a sardonic letter whether former Governor General David Johnston had the independence required to fulfill his mandate as special rapporteur on Chinese interference, Justin Trudeau assured that he had no doubts about it.
“I continue to have faith in him,” the Prime Minister said at a news conference in Winnipeg on Wednesday, when asked if the fact that David Johnston was a member of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation might raise questions about his ability to do their job.
Because “he is an irreproachable man with the capacity and the dedication” making him “the perfect person to look at these complicated issues of interference within our political system”, he argued at the microphone.
PHOTO SEAN KILPATRICK, THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
David Johnson
In his response in English, he denounced the “sarcasm” shown by the Leader of the Official Opposition with regard to these “serious issues”, an attitude that “does no credit” either to him or to questions about the foreign interference.
In the morning, Pierre Poilievre posted a brief letter to David Johnston on social media, using quotation marks for his title of “Rapporteur”.
“Explain this: How are you going to investigate Beijing’s donation to the Trudeau Foundation while you were part of the Trudeau Foundation? I await your response,” reads this missive, which is signed by the chief, but which does not contain a precise address.
Prime Minister Trudeau has given David Johnston the mandate to determine whether or not a public inquiry into foreign interference in the elections should be launched. The former Governor General has until May 23 to make his recommendations.
Crisis at the Trudeau Foundation
Another blow hit Justin Trudeau on Tuesday as eight board members, four senior executives and six mentors resigned from the Foundation en masse over major ‘ethical’ issues. by the “Chinese donation” made to the foundation in 2016 and 2017.
Although the reason given by the Foundation in the official statement is the “politicization” of the donation from China, The Press was able to confirm with five people who had left their posts that it was an internal crisis that was behind these mass resignations.
The Prime Minister reiterated Wednesday that he was no longer involved with the Foundation that bears his father’s name since his election as leader of the Liberal Party in 2013. Could the organization abandon the name Trudeau to return to nine ?
It’s up to them to decide, replied Justin Trudeau: “I know that there are reflections and questions that arise at the moment, but it is the Foundation itself that must be responsible for answering and to figure out how to move forward.
With Katia Gagnon