TORONTO– A Canadian government official on Tuesday refused to hold a public inquiry into the intelligence leaks. China they messed up the Canadian government elections, based on allegations of cover-up by Conservative opponents.
Opposition lawmakers have been calling for a public investigation into the alleged interference in China since the Globe and Mail reported it earlier this year. He also cited the undisclosed intelligence that China preferred to see Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals re-elected in the 2021 election and sought to defeat conservative politicians who appeared to have no ties to Beijing.
Trudeau’s nominee, David Johnston, announced the proposal on Tuesday, saying that a public inquiry into the leaks would not be possible due to intelligence concerns. However, he encouraged public discussion on many issues, including foreign influence in Canadian politics.
Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre immediately criticized Johnston’s comments, saying they obscured Beijing’s influence in Canada. He also said that Mr. Johnston was confused because of his relationship with Trudeau.
Trudeau appointed Mr. Johnston, a family friend and highly respected governor, to study the matter in March, and Trudeau said at the time that he would follow Johnston’s recommendations.
Mr Johnston said the government had not ignored or failed to act on the intelligence and said the media reports that had been released were inaccurate and sometimes wrong.
“The release takes a lot of information. Sometimes the documents don’t explain everything,” he said.
He said it was disturbing and damaging that intelligence had been revealed. He also said that he could not say who released the intelligence or their intentions.
The Governor-General is the British monarch’s representative as head of state, and holds a highly symbolic and symbolic role. Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Johnston governor general in 2010 and his term was extended under Trudeau until 2017.
Johnston is a former member of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.
Poilievre, the opposition leader, said Johnston would “help Trudeau cover up what Beijing has done in our democracy.”
“David Johnson is a ski buddy, a chalet neighbor, a family friend and a member of the Trudeau foundation. He has no business in this job because it’s a bogus job that he can’t do impartially and none of his opinions can be taken seriously because they conflict,” said Poilievre.
Trudeau has said that all political leaders agree that the 2019 and 2021 elections were not affected by foreign interference.
Earlier this month, Canada expelled a Chinese ambassador who Canada’s spy agency said was involved in a plot to threaten a Conservative lawmaker and his relatives in Hong Kong after a Conservative lawmaker criticized Beijing’s human rights record. China then announced the expulsion of Canada’s ambassador in retaliation this month.
China has always used threats against relatives to intimidate China’s opponents.
Relations between China and Canada have soured after China detained former ambassador Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor, shortly after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of telecoms giant Huawei and the daughter of the company’s founder, at the behest of US officials who accused him of fraud case. .