The torture of gout doesn’t work the way we think it does.
Posted at 6:00 am
In this method, known in English as Chinese water torture, it is not the drop of water itself that torments the victim. If it falls evenly, you can get used to it. When the flow is unpredictable, the victim really suffers.
This is the torture Justin Trudeau inflicts on himself by handling Chinese interference in the Canadian elections.
The prime minister initially trivialized the problem. He’s now taking it forward by asking his “independent special rapporteur,” David Johnston, to find a solution for him. His report will be presented at the end of October. By May 23, Mr. Johnston will also be able to propose other mechanisms to shed light, including a public inquiry.
PHOTO SEAN KILPATRICK, THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVE
Independent Special Rapporteur on Foreign Interference and former Governor General David Johnston
Mr. Trudeau promises to heed such a recommendation, even if he himself has recently found it inadequate.
Meanwhile, a parallel investigation takes place as standard in the media. Supported by anonymous sources, the news multiplies in a certain disarray.
Every morning, liberals wake up not knowing which revelation will hit which elected officials.
Of course, an independent investigation can also become a surprise box. But the process is at least monitored. The testimonies are more substantive than a media report and the people criticized can give their version of the facts. Han Dong would not have complained.
Because of his refusal to start such a mechanism, Mr. Trudeau makes absurd stories possible, like that of Mr. Dong, MP for Don Valley North, who has just resigned from the Liberal faction.
In February 2021, Mr. Dong reportedly telephoned the Chinese consul in Toronto that releasing the two Michaels would help the Conservative Party.
It is strange. After all, Mr. Trudeau has been criticized for being slow in getting that clearance. And when the hostages returned home, it was a victory for the Liberal leader. Rumor has it that a translation error explains this misunderstanding.
Others argue that releasing Meng Wanzhou in exchange for the two Michaels was not without risk for liberals. At the time, experts complained that China had won twice: by repatriating the businesswoman and warning other countries. In short, Canada proved against itself that the hostage situation had worked for China.
Was that what Mr. Dong had in mind? While implausible, it’s not entirely impossible.
Difficult to see clearly. However, it is known that Canada’s Security Intelligence Agency (CSIS) warned Liberals in 2019 that Mr Dong was backed by Chinese agents and that he had been monitoring the MP ever since. It was precisely for this reason that his conversation with the consul was bugged…
We don’t know what the next revelation will be. But all indications are that there will be others to be shelled in this media soap opera that never runs out of steam. Apparently people with sensitive national security information distrust the government and sound the alarm.
These drops appear to have fallen on Mr. Trudeau’s head.
His arguments for his defense are bizarre. He accuses those who uncover attempts at Chinese interference of undermining trust in our democratic institutions. However, when they uncover the threat, it is precisely to better counteract it.
His strategy is also strange. Having decided that a public inquiry would be harmful, he would accept it if his special rapporteur recommended it.
Finally, Mr. Johnston’s choice is amazing. The former governor general is competent and honest. He was Dean of Law School at the University of Western Ontario, Waterloo, and Principal of McGill, and he established the terms of reference for the Oliphant Commission in the Karlheinz Schreiber-Brian Mulroney connections. But he’s also a friend of the Trudeau family and a Sinophile who, despite growing fears of technology theft, has strengthened ties between Canadian and Chinese universities. If he does not recommend a public inquiry, opposition parties will accuse him of bias. The Prime Minister could have found someone less vulnerable to attack.
Since the beginning of this affair, every decision made by Mr. Trudeau has been fraught with a grave error. He believes the investigation should focus on Chinese interference attempts. But while they are getting bolder and more aggressive, they have always been there, and our intelligence services are already working to counter them.
Rather, it is about the political response to this threat. We want to know whether the Trudeau administration trivialized or lightened it.
The liberals are obviously not China’s allies. Mr. Trudeau suffered the wrath of it. The Middle Kingdom does not put all its eggs in one basket. Beijing is looking for interlocutors in all parties likely to come to power. But according to various leaks, fishing has been going well for the liberals since 2015.
That needs to be examined: the federal response to this particular threat.
When it comes to national security and espionage, certain information must remain confidential. I don’t know what exact mechanism would allow to shed all the light without revealing our state secrets. But one thing seems clear: the inquiry cannot be addressed to Mr. Trudeau. Accountability is with the public.
Not being agreeable to the Liberal leader, he will avoid the present ordeal of gout, which does not end.