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It, from the outside looking in, looks like the Opposition Parties have, more or less, been onboard with cooperating with each other over the last three months of the Liberal stalling tactic of Rapporteur, be it special or extra-special in flavour.
No shame.The federal opposition parties have an opportunity to call Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s bluff on foreign interference, but they’ll have to work together to do it.
Tom Mulcair: Will Justin Trudeau decide to stick around? — CTV News
Justin Trudeau is very much afraid of the damage a full inquiry could do to his election chances, if he decides to stick around, writes former NDP Leader Tom Mulcair.apple.news
The opportunity arises because of recent attempts by Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc to rewrite history by now claiming a public inquiry “has never been off the table” for Trudeau and that the opposition parties have to do more than “simply demanding” a public inquiry.
Both claims are nonsense.
In fact, after David Johnston — Trudeau’s friend appointed by the PM to be his “independent special rapporteur” on foreign interference — recommended against a public inquiry, Trudeau was asked if it was possible he would call one anyway.
Trudeau said he would not.
“I committed to listening very carefully and abiding by the recommendations that the former governor general made and … we will be following his recommendations,” Trudeau said.
That was taking a public inquiry off the table, despite LeBlanc’s claim.
Also, contrary to LeBlanc’s claim, opposition parties were not “simply demanding” an inquiry.
In fact, a majority of MPs in the House of Commons have voted repeatedly in favour of a public inquiry for months, which Trudeau has repeatedly rejected.
What Trudeau said, through LeBlanc, in the wake of Johnston’s resignation, was that the Liberals haven’t ruled out a public inquiry, or they could appoint someone to replace Johnston, or there could be another form of investigation other than a public inquiry or another report by an “independent special rapporteur.”
The Conservatives, BQ and NDP all want a public inquiry and have all said whoever heads it must be truly independent of the Liberal government and the Trudeau Foundation, so there is already considerable agreement.
EDITORIAL: Opposition parties must call Trudeau’s bluff — Toronto Sun
The federal opposition parties have an opportunity to call Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s bluff on foreign interference, but they’ll have to work together to do it. The opportunity arises because of recent attempts by Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc to rewrite history by now...
With Johnston gone, we're running out of time to get answers on foreign interference — CBC News
When David Johnston released his first report on foreign interference three weeks ago, the former governor general argued that Parliament was — or should be — capable of handling such an important matter itself. Parliament vehemently disagreed.
He has no plans to turn off the CCP spigot .Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has denied access to cabinet documents that his own National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians has repeatedly requested over the years.
Without it, the committee has warned, it cannot do its job properly.
Liberal MP David McGuinty, who chairs NSICOP, which includes representatives from the Liberal, Conservative, BQ and NDP parties — created by Trudeau in 2017 to advise him on security and intelligence matters — specifically cited this concern in a letter to Trudeau last year, when it released a special report on the national security and intelligence activities of Global Affairs Canada.
“On behalf of the committee, I would like to reiterate a growing risk to the committee’s ability to fulfill its mandate: the government’s broad claims of cabinet confidence on documents or information,” McGuinty wrote.
“The committee’s concern is that, in the future, the definition will be applied to its full breadth and the committee members, who take an oath and are bound by statute to not disclose any information that they obtained in the course of their work, will neither receive relevant information, nor be aware of its existence.
“If departments continue to apply the definition of cabinet confidence to its full breadth, exercise their discretion to withhold information thus identified and do not inform the committee of what relevant information has been withheld, the committee’s ability to transparently and comprehensively review the governance frameworks which support ministerial accountability risk being compromised.”
Last week, Trudeau said on the advice of his advisor, David Johnston, that he will allow NSICOP and the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency to access the specific cabinet documents Johnston was permitted to see as part of his investigation into foreign interference, so they can critically evaluate Johnston’s report.
But make no mistake. Prior to being caught up in the foreign interference controversy, Trudeau’s position was against releasing any cabinet documents.
Even without access, NSICOP warned Trudeau in its 2019 annual report, a redacted version of which was later released to the public, that foreign interference by Beijing was rampant at every level of government in Canada and the federal government was failing to address it effectively.
It made recommendations on how to better combat foreign interference, which Trudeau ignored.
EDITORIAL: Trudeau ignored NSICOP on foreign interference — Toronto Sun
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has denied access to cabinet documents that his own National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians has repeatedly requested over the years. Without it, the committee has warned, it cannot do its job properly. Liberal MP David McGuinty, who chairs...
The person should have no affiliation with any party .Opposition parties laid out their asks this week for a potential public inquiry into allegations of foreign interference in Canadian elections and society.
The Conservatives, Bloc Québécois, NDP and the Greens Party have all been discussing what comes now after David Johnston resigned from his role as special rapporteur on June 9.
Despite calls from the opposition for an independent public inquiry, Johnston recommended against such a forum in his interim report. Following his resignation, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc said all options were on the table for determining the “next steps” into the matter.
Opposition parties have been meeting with LeBlanc to discuss those next steps, and some have shared what they want to see happen now. Here’s what we know so far:
What opposition parties want next on foreign interference probe — Global News
The Conservatives, Bloc Québécois, NDP and the Greens have all been discussing what comes now after David Johnston resigned from his role as interference rapporteur on June 9.
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet kicked off the week by penning an open letter to LeBlanc Monday night stating his party’s desires. In it, he said there must be a public and independent inquiry and that a person or persons chosen to lead it can only happen if all party leaders agree to their selection.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has said potential candidates for leading an inquiry should have no affiliation with the Trudeau Foundation for a change.
The Tories have been adamant that a public inquiry be held. Poilievre said on June 11 he would work with his opposition colleagues to ensure the person who fills that role is “independent and unbiased.” “We want to make sure there are no ties to the Trudeau family, no relationship to the Beijing-financed Trudeau Foundation, no other compromising relationship with … any foreign dictatorship and someone who has a track record of non-partisanship and neutrality,” Poilievre said June 11.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May told Global News Thursday that any inquiry should not be limited to one country alone. Furthermore, it needs to be an independent commission of some kind – not necessarily a judicial inquiry, but there must be agreement across all parties on the independence and appropriate nature of a commissioner or commissioners to undertake the review.
May also said given the current “optics,” any person who leads an inquiry must not have an association with the Trudeau Foundation. May added she believes the intention is for an individual or individuals, as well as a term of references, to be announced before Parliament breaks for the summer on June 23.
