Trudeau Expected to Give Testimony in Foreign Election Interference Inquiry
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is scheduled to give testimony before the public inquiry into foreign interference, along with other senior government officials, as hearings resume on March 27 to investigate foreign interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
In a press release dated March 22, the Commission on Foreign Interference announced that over 40 individuals, including current and former elected officials, representatives of Elections Canada and the Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections, as well as current and former senior government officials, members of cabinet, and Mr. Trudeau, will be involved in the hearings.
Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue stated that the hearings aim to provide Canadians with a better understanding of the foreign interference threats faced by our electoral system in the 2019 and 2021 elections, the protective measures in place, and any potential impact on the integrity of the elections.
According to the press release, a schedule of witnesses appearing before the commission will be released next week. The commission plans to publish an interim report in May and a final report in December.
The foreign interference commission was established in response to concerns about foreign interference, particularly by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
The inquiry was initiated following pressure from Opposition parties and has faced controversy and criticism from rights groups and the Conservative Party.
With full standing, the individuals can question witnesses and access some of the non-public documents, which rights groups say endangers the security of witnesses.
Conservatives have also been critical of the inquiry, saying they should have been granted the same full standing as the federal government. CSIS leaks reported by media say the CCP targeted the Conservatives they weren’t elected.
The first phase of the inquiry in February saw some heavily redacted documents released, despite promises that the inquiry would try to make as much information public as possible.
Ten CSIS documents were heavily redacted, some fully, with everything blacked out.