Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet, and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh all stated their disappointment with Johnston’s decision shortly after he announced it around midday on May 23.
“We know that Beijing interfered in two elections to help Trudeau win,” Poilievre said. “We know that Beijing gave $140,000 to the Trudeau Foundation with the express purpose of buying the love and the loyalty of Justin Trudeau.”
Poilievre was referring to a Beijing-linked donation sent in 2016 to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, a charity established in memory of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, father of current PM Justin Trudeau. Johnston was previously a member of the foundation.
In the report, Johnston said a public inquiry can’t be held since the classified information informing the matter cannot be publicly revealed.
‘Stunning’
Disappointment with Johnston’s decision was also expressed by other officials and community leaders.He added, “It doesn’t serve the core interest of our national security and rather it only provided baseline for an approval of China’s narrative.”
Batters retweeted a comment by Globe and Mail senior parliamentary reporter Steven Chase.
Later the same day, Trudeau defended both his appointment of Johnston as special rapporteur and the former governor general’s decision not to call on the Liberal government to hold a public inquiry on election interference.
Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa that Johnston’s decision was informed by “thousands of pages of classified and unclassified documents” on matters of foreign interference.
“While preparing his report, Mr. Johnston was given complete access to all and any relevant records and documents from across government,” Trudeau said.
The prime minister added that letters have been sent to all opposition leaders offering them security clearances so that they can review the relevant intelligence documents privately.
“I think everyone can agree with the former governor general’s assessment that all leaders must work from a common understanding of true facts,” Trudeau said.