Global Courant 2023-05-26 05:32:29
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The NDP supported Liberal efforts to pressure Conservative and Bloc MPs to get the security clearance needed to read Johnston’s classified information
Published on May 25, 2023 • Last updated 2 hours ago • read for 3 minutes
Conservative MP Michael Barrett speaks in the proceedings of the House of Commons and Home Affairs Committee on 25 May 2023. He later blamed the NDP for helping the Liberals “avoid accountability” on the issue of foreign interference. Photo by parlvu.parl.gc.ca
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OTTAWA — NDP MPs on Thursday teamed up with liberals to block efforts by conservatives to speed up the timetable for David Johnston to appear before a House of Representatives committee after the “independent special rapporteur” on foreign election interference made his statement earlier this week. had issued a report recommending against a public inquiry into the matter.
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Instead, the NDP backed liberal efforts to pressure Conservative MPs and Bloc Québécois MPs to get the security clearance needed to read Johnston’s classified intelligence background in his decision to advise against an investigation into foreign election interference , something both the Tories and the Bloc have opposed.
On Thursday, members of the Standing Committee on Procedure and Home Affairs (PROC) met at the request of opposition parties to invite Johnston to appear as soon as possible and again push for a public inquiry into foreign interference.
The committee’s Liberal chair, Bardish Chagger, pointed out at the start of the meeting that Johnston had already agreed to appear before the committee on June 6.
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During the more than three-hour meeting, Conservatives tried to get Johnston to appear earlier, but were thwarted by NDP and Liberal MPs.
The Liberals tried to scrap the Conservatives’ attempt to push again for a public inquiry, but were unsuccessful.
After the meeting, Conservative MP Michael Barrett blamed the NDP for helping the Liberals “avoid accountability”.
In addition to his report, released Tuesday, Johnston compiled a “confidential appendix” of intelligence he used to justify his decision not to conduct a public inquiry into media allegations in recent months that China was leading a campaign of election interference in Canada. orchestrated. . Johnston has recommended that the Prime Minister share the attachment with opposition leaders and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has offered to do so.
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But leaders of both the Conservatives and the Bloc have already made it clear that they do not intend to get the security clearance they would need to read the classified material, arguing that it would make it impossible for them to publish the report in the public domain. to be discussed publicly.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilièvre said he would not be “silenced”, and Bloc leader Yves-Francois Blanchet called Trudeau’s offer a “silly trap”.
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, on the other hand, has agreed to get the necessary security clearance, arguing “that’s what a responsible leader of an opposition leader would do”.
At the PROC meeting, Liberal MP Greg Fergus, who is also Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, managed to amend the motion discussed at the meeting to encourage all opposition parties to consult the intelligence.
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NDP deputy leader Alexandre Boulerice added a sub-amendment under the condition that the people viewing this intelligence speak as openly as possible about what they saw, to the same extent as Johnston himself.
Liberal and NDP members could pass the amendment by a majority vote.
“We have seen this movie before. It was so predictable. What we are seeing now is a demonstration that they are ignoring the will of a majority of parliamentarians,” said Bloc MP Marie-Hélène Gaudreau.
Liberal MP Ryan Turnball argued that if the opposition really wants to get answers to the allegations that have been circulating in the media, they have a chance to do so.
“It is a bit suspicious to me that the Conservative Party and its members have said throughout the process that they want sunlight and transparency, but their leader will not participate in the process to resolve the issues,” he said. said.
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