Opposition continues to push for public inquiry into foreign interference

Canada’s official Opposition is expressing little confidence that the Liberal government will appoint a truly independent watchdog to investigate foreign interference.

Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre said he predicts Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will pick someone close to him or his government as the special rapporteur who will look into the issue.

“He’ll pick another Liberal establishment insider, a real Ottawa insider with some grey hair who looks like a reasonable fella, but we all know that it will be someone tied to him,” Poilievre said Tuesday.

Trudeau responded to the criticism by saying he is open to suggestions for the role.

On Monday, Justin Trudeau announced his government will appoint a special rapporteur with a wide mandate to investigate foreign interference following recent media reports. He sold it as a way to remove partisan politics from the public debate.

“This is not, and should never be, a partisan issue. I understand that people want answers and Canadians deserve reassurance,” Trudeau said Monday.

The Conservatives, along with the NDP and Bloc Québécois, continue to push for an independent public inquiry into alleged Chinese interference in Canada’s last two federal elections, in what Poilievre described as “bringing home control of our democracy.”

The Tories have long criticized the Liberals for being too soft on China and not taking the issue of foreign interference seriously.

“This is an opportunity for the opposition, especially the Conservatives, to score (political) points,” said Daniel Béland, director at the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada.

Béland cautioned that the Conservatives need to avoid “excessive, over-the-top speculation that will feed conspiracy theories,” which he said could further undermine confidence in the electoral system.

Experts have cautioned that a public inquiry may not yield the desired result because national security concerns could prevent officials from revealing much information.

The rapporteur, who has not yet been named, could also recommend another type of investigation or a judicial review, Béland said.

“Even if it’s about secret information, the debate is already very public and more information is being leaked,” he said, adding that a public inquiry, which could take years, could be complicated due to Canada’s privacy laws.

On Tuesday, Poilievre pitched the idea of a public inquiry in which top-secret information is under a publication ban, and only information that will imperil national interests is withheld.

Trudeau has left the door open to holding a public inquiry should the rapporteur recommend it. Béland said that may be required just to lower the partisan temperature “and look at the issues in a more detached way.”