Global Courant
Special Rapporteur on foreign interference David Johnston has resigned, CTV News has confirmed. In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Johnston cited the intense politicization of his appointment and work as the reason for his imminent departure.
“When I took on the role of Independent Special Rapporteur on foreign interference, my aim was to help build confidence in our democratic institutions. I have come to the conclusion that, given the highly partisan atmosphere surrounding my appointment and work, my leadership has had the opposite effect,” Johnston said in the letter.
“I am therefore submitting my resignation, effective no later than the end of June 2023, or as soon as I have issued a brief final report, which I hope will be sooner.”
The Privy Council Office (PCO) confirmed in a separate statement on Friday evening that the government had received Johnston’s resignation and thanked the “accomplished public servant” for his work to date and his “continued commitment to Canada and Canadians”.
The move comes after the embattled former governor-general testified before MPs this week and appeared persistent in his plans to proceed with public hearings next month.
At the meeting, Johnston called the allegations swirling around his objectivity “completely untrue” and indicated he was not deterred by them.
Now he’s proposing that Trudeau go ahead with public hearings but choose someone else to conduct them, a decision Johnston made for himself when he chose to do them in the first place.
“I encourage you to appoint a respected person, with national security experience, to complete the work I recommended in my initial report. Ideally, you would consult with the opposition parties to identify suitable candidates to support this effort. lead,” said Johnston, almost echoing the suggestions made for weeks by opposition parties.
“A thorough and comprehensive assessment of foreign interference, its consequences and how to prevent it should be an urgent priority for your government and our parliament,” Johnston said in his letter of resignation.
The government said the parallel work of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) and the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA) continues.
These oversight bodies respectively assessed the state of foreign interference in federal election processes and how Canada’s national security agencies handled the threat of foreign interference during the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
“The government remains committed to taking action to protect our institutions and uphold Canadians’ confidence in our democracy and will announce next steps in due course,” PCO said in a statement.
Trudeau appointed Johnston to the position in March, as part of a series of measures to address concerns that the Liberal administration has failed to share information or adequately respond to threats of foreign interference in the last two federal elections.
From the start of his appointment, Johnston has faced consistent personal and partisan attacks from opposition parties, who have accused him of bias despite a long career of appointments to non-partisan roles by political leaders across the spectrum.
In his interim report released on May 23, while pointing to the real threat posed by foreign election interference and the need to address some serious intelligence gaps, Johnston recommended against a public inquiry, instead announcing plans himself to hold public hearings.
This sparked another wave of anger, with the opposition calling it the latest example of how Johnston has a conflict of interest, a claim Johnston repeatedly denied on Tuesday.
“I do not believe I have a conflict of interest and I would not have taken on this responsibility if I had a conflict of interest,” he told the committee.
After confirming earlier this month that Johnston had hired crisis communications firm Navigator “to provide communications advice and support” at the start of his tenure, his office confirmed on Thursday that he had since severed ties with the agency after the move drew criticism.
His decision to leave comes just a week after he dug in his heels and insisted he intended to stay, following the majority of MPs in the House of Commons who passed an NDP motion was called upon to “step aside” as rapporteur.
Johnston then said he felt a “duty” to complete his work as mandated by the federal government.
The former governor-general’s decision has been welcomed by opposition leaders, who are using his abdication as an opportunity to revive calls for Trudeau to launch a public inquiry.
“David Johnston did the right thing. Now the Prime Minister must launch a public inquiry so that we can restore confidence in our democracy,” NDP leader Jagmeet Singh tweeted.
Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet said in a tweet that he “salutes” Johnston’s “worthy decision”.
Blanchet said Trudeau now has no choice but to come to parliament to elect a judge to chair an independent commission on Chinese interference in Canada.
During Johnston’s tumultuous tenure, Trudeau and the Liberals defended Johnston by expressing confidence in his recommendation against an investigation, while decrying the “toxic climate” in which he operated.
More to come…
