Another twist in the investigation of China's interference in the Canadian elections
The conservatives seem to have gotten their way.
David Johnston, the appointed special rapporteur on China interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections in Canada, has announced his resignation. In an address to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, he said he would step down as special rapporteur by the end of June. He cited criticism from opposition parties as the reason for his decision.
Johnston wrote: «When I undertook the task of independent special rapporteur on foreign interference, my objective was to help build trust in our democratic institutions. I have concluded that, given the highly partisan atmosphere around my appointment and work, my leadership has had the opposite effect».
In early March there were rumors in the Canadian media about possible interference by the Communist Party of China in the federal elections in Canada. The basis for this was allegedly a leak of Canadian intelligence information. Prime Minister Trudeau appointed former Governor General David Johnston to investigate the case. Johnston immediately failed to face criticism from the Conservative Party.
David reported recently that he found no confirmation of rumors of Chinese interference. Intelligence had reported to the country's leadership about attempts by foreign countries to somehow influence Canadian politics, but the attempts were not successful. The media simply misinterpreted the leaked information.
The Conservatives were not happy with Johnston's findings and demanded that Justin Trudeau dismiss the former governor general as special rapporteur. There was even a vote in Parliament, which resulted in a majority vote for Johnston to resign his position. Parliament's decision, however, was advisory, and not binding. Therefore, the Prime Minister was in no hurry to dismiss the speaker he had appointed. As a result, pressure from the opposition led to Johnston's own decision to resign.
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