While David Johnston’s first report into foreign interference disputed claims made about Independent MP Han Dong, the special rapporteur said Tuesday he never spoke to the Toronto-area MP in the course of his investigation.
“We did not reach out to him,” the former governor general told CBC’s Power & Politics Tuesday after appearing before a Commons committee and being grilled by opposition MPs on foreign interference.
“We had a high degree of intelligence, both open and more particularly the classified information, and that permitted us to come to the conclusion that the allegations made about him were not founded. In fact, he was in conversation with the consulate in Toronto of China but was not wittingly being a tool of theirs.”
Johnston was appointed special rapporteur by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in March after a series of news stories by Global News and the Globe and Mail alleged the Chinese government engaged in a range of interference operations in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
In his first report, released last month, Johnston disputed several of those reports — including one Global News story that alleged Liberal MP Han Dong urged a Chinese diplomat in February 2021 to hold off on releasing Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor from China’s custody, and others that claimed federal candidates received funds from China during the 2019 federal election campaign.
Johnston says he ‘didn’t reach out’ to MP Han Dong while investigating foreign interference
Special rapporteur David Johnston says he felt that he got the intelligence that permitted him to conclude that Han Dong ‘was not a witting party’ in an alleged foreign interference campaign. Dong stepped down as a member of the Liberal caucus in the wake of allegations that he advised a Chinese diplomat that Beijing should wait to free Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor in February 2021.
After reviewing classified intelligence reports, Johnston did conclude that there were “irregularities” observed with Dong’s nomination for the federal Liberals in 2019 and cited a “well-grounded suspicion that the irregularities were tied to the PRC consulate in Toronto, with whom Mr. Dong maintains relationships.”
“In reviewing the intelligence, I did not find evidence that Mr. Dong was aware of the irregularities or the PRC Consulate’s potential involvement in his nomination,” the report said.
Johnston said his team didn’t reach out to Dong “out of respect” for the Independent MP’s $15 million lawsuit against Global News.
Hear David Johnston’s opening remarks at committee on foreign interference
During his opening remarks at the committee on procedure and house affairs, Special Rapporteur on Foreign Interference David Johnston spoke of his work investigating foreign interference and says criticism won’t stop him from completing his mandate.
“We felt that we got both the open intelligence and the classified intelligence that permitted us to come to the conclusion that he was not a witting party to what was suggested in those stories,” Johnston told host David Cochrane.
Dong quit the Liberal caucus after the Global stories broke. Since Johnston’s first report was released, Dong has been seeking to rejoin the Liberal caucus.
Johnston says public hearings will begin next month
On Tuesday, Johnston appeared for more than three hours before a hearing of the standing committee on procedure and House affairs, where he defended his integrity and his decision to hold public hearings instead of a public inquiry.
Johnston has been accused of bias due to his past connections to the prime minister’s family and the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation — allegations he repeatedly tried to swat down.
“I don’t believe I have a conflict of interest and I would not have undertaken this responsibility had I had a conflict of interest,” he told the committee Tuesday.
“So my suggestion, madam chair, is that one looks at a record of service and comes to one’s conclusion about conflict of interest. And I would again plea that you focus the attention on foreign interference, this report which will be reviewed, and others where we must do a much better job.”
In his report, Johnston wrote that while he did not find evidence that Trudeau or his ministers knowingly ignored intelligence, there are problems with the way information flows between cabinet and intelligence agencies.
“I’ve identified significant shortcomings in the government’s ability to detect, deter and combat this threat. This must be remedied urgently,” he told MPs in his opening remarks.
He has promised to hold public hearings, beginning next month, “on the serious governance and policy issues.”
Johnston said the public will be able to hear from government representatives, national security officials and members of the diaspora community.
Chong questions Johnston on foreign interference investigation
During committee, Conservative MP Michael Chong asked David Johnston how he thought he could restore trust from Canadians in his work. Chong was at the centre of the foreign interference story when he was briefed that he was a victim of targeting by Beijing.
Those who fear speaking out publicly because of the risk of retaliation will have the chance to provide testimony in-camera, or can submit information privately, Johnston added.
Conservative MP Michael Chong, who has been targeted by the Chinese government for his work to recognize the Uyghur genocide, argued that the recommendation against a public inquiry undermines public confidence.
“Eight months ago, when this foreign interference scandal first blew wide open, reasonable people could have argued that public trust could be restored without an independent public inquiry. But that door closed a long time ago,” said Chong.
“Do you not see how recommending against a public inquiry undermines confidence in our democratic institutions?”
Johnston has argued that, given the classified nature of the information, a public inquiry wouldn’t build trust.
“I come back to Justice [Dennis] O’Connor, who said that public inquiries in the traditional sense are not particularly useful and can be horrendous in dealing with these things and there are appropriate ways of dealing with them,” said Johnston, referring to the head of the inquiry into the detainment and torture of Maher Arar.
The first report from David Johnston, Independent Special Rapporteur on Foreign Interference, is shown as he appears as a witness at the Procedure and House Affairs Committee in Ottawa on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)
“What we have recommended and what we intend to do in the next five months is to have public hearings on these very important questions of, are our systems adequate? They are not.”
Johnston said he expects his second report, which is due in October, will recommend shoring up Canada’s two intelligence review bodies — the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians and the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency.
Opposition parties voted for Johnston to resign
Johnston spent much of the committee hearing defending his ability to continue on as special rapporteur.
Last week, the House of Commons passed an NDP motion, with Conservative and Bloc Québécois support, calling for Johnston to be ousted from high-profile role.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre accused Johnston of helping “Trudeau cover up the influence by Beijing in our democracy.” NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has said “the appearance of bias is so strong” that Johnston cannot continue.
Despite the vote, Johnston told the committee said he intends to stay on and finish his work. He said he respects the House’s right to express its opinion but his mandate comes from the government.
Conservative MP questions David Johnston on his relationship with Trudeau
Conservative MP Larry Brock asks special rapporteur David Johnston about the history of his relationship with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Johnston has said that while he was friends with Pierre Trudeau and skied with the Trudeau family back when Justin Trudeau and his brothers were children, he hasn’t had any meetings, dinners or personal contacts with Trudeau in the past 40 years.
During today’s hearing, Johnston also defended the record of Sheila Block, a lawyer he hired to assist with his mandate. The Globe and Mail reported Tuesday morning that Block has donated to the Liberal Party in the past.
Johnston also told the committee that about 10 days ago, he began receiving unpaid informal advice from Don Guy, former chief of staff to former Ontario Liberal premier Dalton McGuinty, and Brian Topp, chief of staff to Rachel Notley when she was the NDP premier of Alberta.
Navigator calls itself a “high-stakes strategic advisory and communications firm” that offers a range of services. Its slogan is, “When you can’t afford to lose.”
When asked Monday if hiring a crisis communicator was a good use of public funds, Trudeau defended Johnston and accused Poilievre of participating in “baseless smear jobs.”
“I’m not going to speak to decisions that the independent special rapporteur and his team are making to manage the toxic climate that they’re operating in,” said Trudeau.
Some foreign interference stories ‘don’t add up,’ Johnston says
Special rapporteur David Johnston concedes that Erin O’Toole’s claim that his campaign was targeted by China in the 2021 election, and the lack of supporting evidence reported by Johnston, calls for closer investigation.
DETROIT (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris appeared with Lizzo on Saturday in the singer’s hometown of Detroit, marking the beginning of in-person voting and lavishing the city with praise after Republican nominee Donald Trump recently disparaged it.
“All the best things were made in Detroit. Coney Dogs, Faygo and Lizzo,” the singer joked to a rally crowd, pointing to herself after listing off the meat-on-a-stick and soda that the city is famous for.
She said it was time to “put some respect on Detroit’s name” noting that the city had revolutionized the auto and music industries and adding that she’d already cast her ballot for Harris since voting early was “a power move.”
Heaps of praise for the Motor City came after Trump, the former president, insulted it during a recent campaign stop. And Harris continued the theme, saying of her campaign, “Like the people of Detroit, we have grit, we have excellence, we have history.”
Arms wide open as she took the stage, Harris let the crowd see she was wearing under her blazer a “Detroit vs. Everybody” T-shirt that the owner of the business that produces them gave her during a previous stop in the city earlier in the week. She also moved around the stage during her speech with a hand-held mic, not using a teleprompter.
More than 1 million Michigan residents have already voted by mail in the Nov. 5 election, and Harris predicted that Detroit turnout for early voting would be strong.
“Who is the capital of producing records?” Harris asked when imploring the crowd to set new highs for early voting tallies. “We are going to break some records here in Detroit today.”
She slammed Trump as unstable: “Somebody just needs to watch his rallies, if you’re not really sure how to vote.”
“We’re not going to get these 17 days back. On Election Day, we don’t want to have any regrets,” the vice president said.
Lizzo also told the crowd, “Mrs. Commander-in-Chief has a nice ring to it.”
“This is the swing state of all swing states, so every last vote here counts,” the singer said. Then, referencing her song of the same title, Lizzo added, “If you ask me if America is ready for its first woman president, I only have one thing to say: “It’s about damn time!”
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement that Harris needed Lizzo “to hide the fact that Michiganders were feeling good under President Trump – real wages were higher, prices were lower, and everyone was better off.”
Talona Johnson, a product manager from Rochester, Michigan, attended Harris rally and said that Harris “and her team are doing the things that are required to make sure that people are informed.”
“I believe she’s telling the truth. She’s trying to help the people,” said Johnson, who said she planned to vote for Harris and saw women’s rights as her top concern.
“I don’t necessarily agree with everything that she’s put out, but she’s better than the alternative,”
In comments to reporters prior to the rally, Harris said she was in Detroit “to thank all the folks for the work they are doing to help organize and register people to vote, and get them out to vote today. She also called Detroit “a great American city” with “a lot of hard-working folks that have grit and ambition and deserve to be respected.”
The vice president was asked about whether the Biden administration’s full-throated support for Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza might hurt her support in Michigan. Dearborn, near Detroit, is the largest city with an Arab majority in the nation.
“It has never been easy,” Harris said of Middle East policy. “But that doesn’t mean we give up.”
She will get more star power later Saturday when she holds a rally in Atlanta featuring another wildly popular singer, Usher.
Early voting is also underway in Georgia. More than 1.2 million ballots have been cast, either in person or by mail.
Democrats hope an expansive organizing effort will boost Harris against Trump in the campaign’s final weeks.
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Associated Press writers Matt Brown in Detroit and Will Weissert and Fatima Hussein in Washington contributed.
Moe is set to speak in the city of Yorkton about affordability measures this morning before travelling to the nearby village of Theodore for an event with the local Saskatchewan Party candidate.
NDP Leader Carla Beck doesn’t have any events scheduled, though several party candidates are to hold press conferences.
On Thursday, Moe promised a directive banning “biological boys” from using school changing rooms with “biological girls” if re-elected.
The NDP said the Saskatchewan Party was punching down on vulnerable children.
Election day is Oct. 28.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2024.
REGINA – Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe is promising a directive banning “biological boys” from using school changing rooms with “biological girls” if re-elected, a move the NDP’s Carla Beck says weaponizes vulnerable kids.
Moe made the pledge Thursday at a campaign stop in Regina. He said it was in response to a complaint that two biological males had changed for gym class with girls at a school in southeast Saskatchewan.
He said the ban would be his first order of business if he’s voted again as premier on Oct. 28.
It was not previously included in his party’s campaign platform document.
“I’ll be very clear, there will be a directive that would come from the minister of education that would say that biological boys will not be in the change room with biological girls,” Moe said.
He added school divisions should already have change room policies, but a provincial directive would ensure all have the rule in place.
Asked about the rights of gender-diverse youth, Moe said other children also have rights.
“What about the rights of all the other girls that are changing in that very change room? They have rights as well,” he said, followed by cheers and claps.
The complaint was made at a school with the Prairie Valley School Division. The division said in a statement it doesn’t comment on specific situations that could jeopardize student privacy and safety.
“We believe all students should have the opportunity to learn and grow in a safe and welcoming learning environment,” it said.
“Our policies and procedures align with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code.”
Asked about Moe’s proposal, Beck said it would make vulnerable kids more vulnerable.
Moe is desperate to stoke fear and division after having a bad night during Wednesday’s televised leaders’ debate, she said.
“Saskatchewan people, when we’re at our best, are people that come together and deliver results, not divisive, ugly politics like we’ve seen time and again from Scott Moe and the Sask. Party,” Beck said.
“If you see leaders holding so much power choosing to punch down on vulnerable kids, that tells you everything you need to know about them.”
Beck said voters have more pressing education issues on their minds, including the need for smaller classrooms, more teaching staff and increased supports for students.
People also want better health care and to be able to afford gas and groceries, she added.
“We don’t have to agree to understand Saskatchewan people deserve better,” Beck said.
The Saskatchewan Party government passed legislation last year that requires parents consent to children under 16 using different names or pronouns at school.
The law has faced backlash from some LGBTQ+ advocates, who argue it violates Charter rights and could cause teachers to out or misgender children.
Beck has said if elected her party would repeal that legislation.
Heather Kuttai, a former commissioner with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission who resigned last year in protest of the law, said Moe is trying to sway right-wing voters.
She said a change room directive would put more pressure on teachers who already don’t have enough educational support.
“It sounds like desperation to me,” she said.
“It sounds like Scott Moe is nervous about the election and is turning to homophobic and transphobic rhetoric to appeal to far-right voters.
“It’s divisive politics, which is a shame.”
She said she worries about the future of gender-affirming care in a province that once led in human rights.
“We’re the kind of people who dig each other out of snowbanks and not spew hatred about each other,” she said. “At least that’s what I want to still believe.”
Also Thursday, two former Saskatchewan Party government members announced they’re endorsing Beck — Mark Docherty, who retired last year and was a Speaker, and Glen Hart, who retired in 2020.
Ian Hanna, a speech writer and senior political adviser to former Saskatchewan Party premier Brad Wall, also endorsed Beck.
Earlier in the campaign, Beck received support from former Speaker Randy Weekes, who quit the Saskatchewan Party earlier this year after accusing caucus members of bullying.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
