Former GG Johnston Says No Public Inquiry on Foreign Interference Needed

Former governor general David Johnston appears before a Commons committee reviewing his nomination as elections debates commissioner, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Nov. 6, 2018. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick)

Special rapporteur on foreign interference David Johnston says a public inquiry can’t be held since the classified information informing the matter cannot be revealed publicly.

The former governor general filed his first report on foreign interference on May 23.

“A public inquiry examining the leaked materials could not be undertaken in public given the sensitivity of the intelligence,” he said in a press conference in Ottawa.

Johnston was appointed special rapporteur on March 16 by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was under pressure to announce an inquiry in light of multiple national security leaks in the media.

Trudeau said that Johnston would decide whether a public inquiry was needed and that he would heed his recommendation.

More details to come.