44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 5, 2023 11:00AM
- Jun/5/23 2:27:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague is well aware that the simple answer to his question is no. Mr. Johnston took the time to look at all of the documents and he interviewed a number of people who were directly involved in the matter of foreign interference. Mr. Johnston took his job seriously and worked independently to come to his findings. That is something that would also do some good in the House of Commons.
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- Jun/5/23 2:37:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is impossible to get answers about Chinese interference. When the Bloc Québécois asks how many elected officials in total have been the target of threats or disinformation campaigns, the government refuses to answer. When the Conservatives ask how many Chinese police stations remain open, it refuses to answer. When the NDP asks about the relationship between the special rapporteur's staff and the Liberal Party, it refuses to answer. Then, when all three parties call for a public inquiry, the government still refuses. This is an affront to democracy.
Where will we find the answers if the government refuses to provide them and refuses to hold a public inquiry?
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- Jun/5/23 2:38:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure my colleague. Our government continues to take this issue very seriously. The fight against foreign interference is a serious issue. David Johnston has an ardent new defender, the Conservative leader. Yes, it is true. He called Mr. Johnston “a very credible individual”.
Despite all the history between Mr. Johnston and the Conservatives, we will continue to place our trust in him to determine the next steps on this important issue.
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- Jun/5/23 2:39:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think my Bloc Québécois friend might be confused about who kept Canadians in the dark. The Conservative Party did absolutely nothing to address foreign interference, despite the fact that our intelligence agencies raised the issue publicly in 2013. Our government did the opposite. We implemented measures to counter foreign interference. We strengthened them every time the experts advised us to do so, and we are going to do exactly the same thing when it comes to Mr. Johnston's recommendations.
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- Jun/5/23 2:40:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this government talks about opposition leaders but says nothing about China's interference. That is what we need to address, and yet, as a result of the Johnston report, there will be no inquiry into the Chinese police stations, no inquiry into the electoral candidates backed by China, no inquiry into the intimidation of the Chinese diaspora, and no inquiry into the threats against our elected members. What is the use of allowing Mr. Johnston to continue to do his work if he himself is telling us that he will not be investigating Chinese interference in our democracy?
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- Jun/5/23 2:41:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, with all due respect to my colleague, our government has a list of meaningful action that has been taken with respect to foreign interference with the creation of new powers for CSIS, with the creation of a new national coordinator in the fight against foreign interference and with a public consultation for the creation of a new foreign agent registry. We are prepared to work together with the Bloc and with all members in the fight against foreign interference to better protect our democratic institutions.
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