David Johnston quits, Justin Trudeau to consider public inquiry into foreign elections interference

OTTAWA-In a major shift, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will now weigh whether to call a public inquiry into foreign elections interference after former governor general David Johnston stunned the government Friday, resigning as outside adviser after weeks of controversy over his appointment and the conclusions of his interim report.

Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, in a statement issued within an hour of Johnston's resignation, said the prime minister has tasked me with consulting experts and opposition parties on next steps and to assess who is best to lead that work."

All three main opposition parties have already voted in favour of a public inquiry, and all reiterated that demand Friday in reaction to Johnston's departure.

A federal official said that the experts that LeBlanc plans to consult may not share that view as the best way forward, but confirmed that all options" are now on the table including a public inquiry.

The surprising turn of events unfolded late Friday, after months of withering criticism of Trudeau and Johnston. An official confirmed the government did not expect the former governor general, constitutional lawyer and academic dean to step down.

When I undertook the task of Independent Special Rapporteur on Foreign Interference, my objective was to help build trust in our democratic institutions," Johnston said in a written release.

I have concluded that, given the highly partisan atmosphere around my appointment and work, my leadership has had the opposite effect. I am therefore tendering my resignation, effective no later than the end of June 2023, or as soon as I deliver a brief final report, which I hope to be earlier."

In quitting, Johnston - who had rejected the need for a public inquiry because it could not transparently deal with top-secret classified intelligence - said that a deep and comprehensive review of foreign interference, its effects, and how to prevent it, should be an urgent priority for your Government and our Parliament."

But he continued to argue for his choice of public hearings, and not an inquiry, as the best way to educate Canadians and to consider necessary reforms.

He urged the federal Liberals to appoint a respected person, with national security experience, to complete the work that I recommended in my first report. Ideally you would consult with opposition parties to identify suitable candidates to lead this effort."

When he named Johnston in March, Trudeau committed to abiding by his recommendations, and Friday's letter appeared to be Johnston's final recommendation.

But the three main opposition leaders reacted by repeating their demands for a full-fledged commission of inquiry.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, in a written statement, repeated his longstanding claim that Trudeau has tried to cover up the help he got from Beijing's Communist government" and blamed Trudeau for Johnston's downfall.

He has destroyed the reputation of a former Governor General all to cover up his own refusal to defend Canada from foreign interests and threats. He must end his cover up, stop hiding and call a full public inquiry into Beijing's interference."

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who had called Johnston tone-deaf" for ignoring Parliament's vote in support of an inquiry, issued a statement saying Unfortunately for Mr. Johnston, he has fallen victim to the bungled handling of foreign interference by the Liberal government.

I always thought that Mr. Johnston is an honourable man and today's decision shows that," Singh said. In addition to a public inquiry, he demanded Trudeau work with opposition parties on an action plan" to deal with interference.

Yves-Francois Blanchet, leader of the Bloc Quebecois, said Trudeau now has no choice but to immediately turn to Parliament to nominate a judge to preside over an inquiry into Chinese interference in Canada."

LeBlanc, however, slammed the partisan attacks waged against Johnston, particularly by the Opposition Conservatives, which he said were unwarranted and unacceptable."

Democracy requires us to rise above partisan considerations," LeBlanc said.

LeBlanc said the government will continue its efforts to combat foreign interference and said ongoing reviews of the classified annex of Johnston's interim report, and the work of both the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians and the National Security Review and Intelligence Agency will continue.

Johnston was appointed by Trudeau in March to probe the extent of foreign interference in Canada's democracy and what actions the government had taken in response to specific instances of it that surfaced in media reports.

But Johnston's decision not to call a public inquiry met with significant blowback and exacerbated concerns raised by the opposition that he was personally too close to the Trudeau family to make an objective assessment of the Trudeau government's handling of the allegations of foreign interference.

Up until late this week, Trudeau continued to defend Johnston's integrity and impartiality, and to demand that the Conservative and Bloc leaders accept top-secret briefings to understand the classified information Johnston relied on to reach his conclusions.

Johnston's initial appointment immediately met opposition criticism because of his past ties as a member of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, which supports academic research and scholarship - but which the Conservatives decried as a partisan organization that had accepted a donation from a donor with close ties to Beijing's ruling Communist Party.

Johnston's first report found gaps in how intelligence agencies communicate with senior public servants and political leaders, but downplayed news reports alleging a deliberate network of Chinese government proxies, money and disinformation had impacted the 2019 and 2021 election campaigns.

In the eyes of many, Johnston's declaration - after Parliament voted for his removal and for an immediate inquiry - that he had a mandate from the government, not Parliament, to continue his work struck a discordant note, coming from a former governor general.

But it was Johnston's appearance this week at a parliamentary committee that appeared to set his sudden resignation in motion.

On Tuesday, Johnston spent three hours before a parliamentary committee where opposition MPs vigorously sought to undercut the whole of his findings to reinforce their demands that a public inquiry is the only way forward.

They pointed out discrepancies between Johnston's recent report and other public information, pressed him on absences from his witness list and grilled him on how much work he actually did

The discrepancies included the fact that Johnston said there was no evidence a state actor was behind disinformation against Conservatives in the 2021 campaign when in fact, former Conservative leader Erin O'Toole told the Commons that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service told him it had determined his party was targeted by misinformation, amplified in part by a Chinese-state-affiliated news outlet called Global Times, which is often seen as a mouthpiece for the CCP.

Johnston also revealed that he had not spoken to former Liberal MP Han Dong in the course of his work, because Dong was suing the news outlet that suggested he'd urged Beijing not to release the two Michaels," and whose nomination came under a cloud after reports alleged the Chinese government had supported his bid.

After CBC first reported he had hired a crisis communications firm, Navigator, Johnston revealed he also took unpaid advice from a senior Liberal and a senior New Democrat strategist, leading Conservatives to charge it was all part of a costly coalition to cover up" the interference.

Tonda MacCharles is Ottawa Bureau Chief and a senior reporter covering federal politics. Follow her on Twitter: @tondamacc

Stephanie Levitz is an Ottawa-based reporter covering federal politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @StephanieLevitz

Raisa Patel is an Ottawa-based reporter covering federal politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @R_SPatel