Calls for interference inquiry dominate House return, Trudeau to speak
CTV
Opposition-led calls for the federal government to launch a public inquiry into allegations of foreign interference in Canadian elections dominated the Commons' return on Monday. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was not present to field these calls, but he has scheduled an unspecified 'announcement' at 5:30 p.m. ET in the foyer.
Opposition-led calls for the federal government to launch a public inquiry into allegations of foreign interference in Canadian elections dominated the Commons' return on Monday, with MP after MP rising in the House imploring the government to act.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was not present to field these calls, but he has scheduled an unspecified "announcement" at 5:30 p.m. ET in the foyer.
According to The Canadian Press citing Liberal sources, Trudeau will say that he's asked the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) to undertake a new investigation into foreign interference in Canada.
It remains to be seen whether this move will be enough to satiate the desires of the other parties to see more Liberal openness around the story that's been dominating headlines over the last few weeks: intelligence sources alleging in reports from The Globe and Mail and Global News that China interfered in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. The leaks are now under RCMP investigation.
Ahead of the news breaking, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre speculated Trudeau's "big announcement" would be outlining a "secretive process that will never bring about the truth" to try to "sweep this under the rug."
Responding to Poilievre in the House of Commons, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc accused him of doing "absolutely nothing" on the file when he was the minister responsible for democratic reform under former prime minister Stephen Harper.
"In 2013, CSIS identified foreign interference as a challenge in the electoral context. Mr. Harper's former national security adviser raised this publicly in 2010, 13 years ago," LeBlanc said. "And when my honourable friend was the minister responsible for this very file, he did absolutely nothing to deal with the question of foreign interference. I know he's frustrated that we've done so much. And the good news Mr. Speaker, is we'll continue to do more because we take this issue very seriously."
