Does Canada need a foreign interference inquiry? MPs set to vote

The inquiry would be able to call witnesses from the government and political parties, and investigate the "abuse of diaspora groups by hostile foreign governments."

The House of Commons is expected to vote on Thursday on a motion calling for a public inquiry into foreign election interference.

The motion comes from the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs via its NDP members, and was adopted in the report from the committee on March 2 and sent on to the House of Commons for concurrence, or agreement.

“Your committee calls on the Government of Canada to launch a national public inquiry into allegations of foreign interference in Canada’s democratic system, including but not limited to allegations of interference in general elections by foreign governments,” the motion reads.

It calls for the inquiry to be able to call witnesses from the government and political parties, to investigate the “abuse of diaspora groups by hostile foreign governments,” and have the power to order and review all documents it deems necessary, including ones related to national security.

The PROC committee has recently been engaged in a lengthy Liberal filibuster over opposition calls for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s top aide, Katie Telford, to testify on allegations of foreign interference in Canada’s elections.

The Liberals conceded to have Telford testify for two hours on Tuesday, in response to a probe proposed by the NDP. That was different from the proposal originally put forward by the Conservatives, who had argued their own wording would have been more comprehensive.

The Liberals have been under fire after Global News and the Globe and Mail reported on allegations of foreign interference from Beijing in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 elections.

Liberal MP Han Dong announced Wednesday he is leaving the Liberal caucus to sit as an Independent MP. That followed a report from Global News that Dong privately advised a senior Chinese diplomat in February 2021 that Beijing should hold off freeing Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, according to two separate national security sources.