(Ottawa) The Bloc Québécois is calling for the immediate repeal of the foreign interference mandate given to former Governor General David Johnston and for a public and independent investigation to be conducted.
Posted at 12:41 p.m
Block leader Yves-François Blanchet laid out the call Monday after the publication in The Globe and Mail over the weekend of a letter written by a whistleblower from Canada’s Intelligence and Security Agency (CSIS). It was this whistleblower who, in recent weeks, leaked secret documents to The Globe and Mail that shed light on Chinese interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
In this letter, titled “An Ignored Threat,” the Canadian spy claims he took the step, which could jeopardize his career and even land him a prison sentence, because he believes the Trudeau government has ignored the threat of foreign interference took it seriously enough.
The Globe and Mail published this whistleblower’s letter while protecting his identity because of the potential penalties.
“When I first realized the magnitude of the threat posed to our democratic institutions by foreign interference, I worked—like many anonymous and tireless colleagues—to equip our leaders with the knowledge and tools to counter it,” the whistleblower writes in his letter .
“Months passed, then years. The threat grew in urgency; serious actions remained unfollowed. I have endeavored, alone and with others, to take my concerns about this threat directly to those who are able to hold our senior officials to account. Unfortunately, these people were not able to do this. »
“In the elapsed time, another federal election had taken place, the threat of interference had increased and it had become increasingly clear that no serious action was being considered. Worse, evidence from senior officials unaware of the interference began to mount up,” he added.
PHOTO PATRICK DOYLE, THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVE
Yves Francois Blanchet
For the Blockfuhrer, this letter confirms more than ever the need for a public inquiry.
“Justin Trudeau claimed that he had no information about the influence of the Chinese communist regime in the past. Everything seems to speak differently. He would then have deliberately and repeatedly ignored signals from his own intelligence agency about the risks of foreign interference in Canada’s democratization process,” Mr Blanchet said on Monday.
“CSIS ultimately felt it necessary to let Canadians know that the various Chinese actions and interference in all its forms – election financing, ‘police stations’, intimidation, social media manipulation and possibly industrial and research espionage – are the main threats to Canadians.” Nationals represent security. It is unthinkable that Justin Trudeau would deny his own intelligence agency and insist on refusing the independent public inquiry demanded of him not only by the Québécois Bloc and the opposition, but also by the populace and many experts,” he added.
PHOTO SEAN KILPATRICK, THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVE
DavidJohnson
Last week, Justin Trudeau confirmed Johnston’s appointment as Special Rapporteur. It will be her job to examine “the consequences of foreign interference in the last two federal elections” and “to provide expert recommendations on how our democracy can be better protected”.
At the end of this exercise, the government will respect and implement the former governor-general’s recommendations, which “could involve a formal investigation, judicial review or other independent review process,” he said.
The Conservative Party, the Bloc Québécois and the NDP are calling for an independent public inquiry into allegations of Chinese interference in the federal election. In recent weeks, The Globe and Mail have reported that China has used sophisticated strategies to secure the election of a minority liberal government and the defeat of some conservative candidates seen as hostile to the communist regime in Beijing.