In the face of rising demand to examine allegations of electoral manipulation in Canada by the Communist Chinese government, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has decided against initiating a comprehensive public investigation into the matter.
Instead, he has made the announcement that he would be appointing an “independent special rapporteur” to look into the problem. The special rapporteur will have a broad scope to give professional suggestions on how to safeguard and enhance the trust that people in Canada have in democratic institutions. They will decide if an official investigation or an independent review mechanism is required to resolve the issue.
On the other hand, the head of the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC), Pierre Poilievre, has voiced his disagreement with the choice to make the appointment personally. Poilievre stated that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been secretly sponsoring Trudeau for the past “ten years,” and that Trudeau’s most recent admission was just another attempt to avoid openness in the matter. Poilievre made a statement stating he would continue to fight for the truth and urged for an open process to be followed.
In a recent address, Trudeau stated that Canada is one of the most stable democracies in the world. He then describes new steps in combating electoral involvement by the CCP. He stated that he takes the problem of foreign election tampering “very seriously” and that he would continue to try to protect and build the faith of Canadians in democracy. He also stated that he takes the subject of foreign election involvement “incredibly seriously.”
In order to accomplish this goal, Prime Minister Trudeau has requested that the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) conduct an investigation into the current condition of foreign meddling in the electoral processes of the federal government. The NSICOP has committed to conducting an investigation into potential instances of foreign intervention in the next federal elections in both 2019 and 2021.
Additionally, Trudeau has requested that the Chair of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA) conduct an investigation into the manner in which the nation’s national security agencies dealt with the potential for interference from outside sources during the 43rd and 44th general elections for the federal government. The results of the NSIRA will be presented to parliament when it has been completed.
Despite the fact that members of parliament representing all opposition parties reached a consensus last week that they want a public investigation, Trudeau has refused to initiate one. Poilievre expressed his disagreement with the selection of a special rapporteur, labeling the position a “false job.” He demanded that the inquiry be impartial, open, and directed by a member of the House of Commons who was recognized and respected by all political factions.
Many people in Canada are concerned about the possibility of intervention by agents from other countries, particularly in light of Trudeau’s previous support for China’s “basic dictatorship.”
The scandal gained momentum on February 17, when the Globe and Mail published an article citing documents from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) which stated that “an orchestrated machine was operating in Canada with two primary aims: to ensure that a minority Liberal government was returned in 2021 and that certain Conservative candidates identified by China were defeated.” The documents were the source of the information in the article. The situation became even more precarious on February 24, when Global News published a story that revealed Trudeau had been informed of these claims but had chosen not to take any action in response to them.
The investigation also disclosed that Liberal Member of Parliament Han Dong was accused by security authorities of being one of no less than 11 candidates in the Toronto region who obtained covert assistance from CCP officials in the 2019 election. This support was allegedly provided by CCP officials.
Trudeau did not dispute the possibility that the CCP was involved in his re-election; rather, he condemned the fact that the records from the CSIS were disclosed to the public in an inappropriate manner.
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