St. Catharines Standard e-edition

Johnston says he will step down

Former governor general cites partisanship around his role investigating foreign interference

All opposition parties in the House of Commons have called for the government to call a public inquiry into foreign interference

OTTAWA David Johnston says he is stepping down from his role as special rapporteur investigating foreign interference, effective no later than the end of June, citing the highly partisan atmosphere around his work.

The former governor general says in a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that his leadership of the government’s probe into foreign meddling by China has not helped build trust in democratic institutions because of partisanship.

The appointment of Johnston, who says he will release a brief final report, has been contentious, with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre accusing him of being too close to Trudeau’s family.

All opposition parties in the House of Commons have called for the government to call a public inquiry into foreign interference, but Johnston recently released a report recommending against that.

In his letter, he says a deep and comprehensive review of foreign interference should be an urgent priority for Parliament and reiterates his report’s main finding that public hearings should be held.

He also says he encourages Trudeau to appoint a “respected person, with national security experience” to finish the work he started, and suggests he consult with opposition parties on who that should be.

Last week, the House of Commons passed a non-binding motion calling on Johnston to step down, in part due to perceptions that he is biased because he had a friendship with the prime minister’s father.

The motion also called on the government to call a public inquiry into foreign interference, after Johnston recommended against one because he said most of the information the government holds about alleged foreign meddling would need to remain classified.

Opposition parties are not disputing the results of the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.

CANADA & WORLD

en-ca

2023-06-10T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-06-10T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://stcatharinesstandard.pressreader.com/article/281719798985991

Toronto Star Newspapers Limited