Liberal MPs Filibuster Motion Calling For Trudeau Adviser to Testify on Foreign Interference

A Canadian flag hangs from a lamp post along the road in front of the Parliament buildings in Ottawa on June 30, 2020. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

Liberal MPs ran the clock on a motion supported by all opposition parties calling for the prime minister’s top adviser to testify at committee on foreign interference by the Chinese regime.

A March 7 meeting of the Commons Procedure and House Affairs Committee starting at 11:00 a.m. was suspended around 2:00 p.m. by Liberal MP and committee chair Bardish Chagger before a vote could take place.

“I am suspending this meeting. Stay tuned,” she said, without providing further details. Question period started in the House at 2:15 p.m.

“After filibustering for 3 hours this morning, the Liberals decided to stop the meeting from resuming by refusing to show up,” tweeted Conservative MP Michael Cooper after question period, calling it a “cover-up.”

In a scrum after question period, MPs from the three opposition parties said they were ready to continue the meeting but Liberals MPs were not present and a quorum could not be reached.

Before the suspension, the NDP joined the Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois to seek testimony from the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Chief of Staff Katie Telford. MPs sitting on the committee are currently conducting a study on foreign interference.

Liberal MPs on the committee spoke in turn and at length, saying that inviting political staff to committee breaches protocol and that the Conservatives are playing political games.

Liberal MP Ryan Turnbull said he found Cooper’s suggestion that “somehow the PM has instructed us to do some obstructionary work” really “troubling” and “100 percent false.”

“Our government has been getting to the bottom of these matters, and has demonstrated a real dedication and commitment to addressing foreign election interference.”

Fourth Motion

Three previous attempts by Cooper to have Telford testify failed, twice due to the NDP voting against his motions.

On March 1 NDP MP Peter Julian indicated his party supported calling Telford to testify, but there were disagreements on the language of the motions and amendments and time ran out before a vote could take place.

Cooper’s latest motion calls for Telford to testify under oath for three hours next week.

“The Prime Minister has been briefed, according to his National Security Adviser, repeatedly about Beijing’s interference, and yet notwithstanding serious interference in Canadian democracy, we have seen no action taken by this prime minister,” Cooper said.

He remarked that no charges have been laid nor have any diplomats been expelled.

NDP MP Rachel Blaney said she “resists heavily” having political staff instead of decision-makers testify, but called the current circumstances exceptional.

“Sadly, what we have seen in this country is a continuous leak from CSIS that tells us that there’s something serious that we need to be concerned with,” she said in explaining that her party also seeks to hear from Telford.

Blaney passed an amendment to Cooper’s motion with Bloc and Conservative support that also calls for Conservative Party staffers to testify.

Blaney suggested that had Trudeau announced a public inquiry as requested by the NDP on March 6, the party might not have pushed to have Telford testify.

“The Prime Minister had an opportunity yesterday in his announcement ... he chose not to.  So here we are today having this discussion,” she said.

The Trudeau government has said it has implemented a number of mechanisms to protect the country against interference, such as elections bodies.

Officials have also said there has not been significant foreign interference in the two previous elections that met a certain threshold.

However, a recent core allegation yet to be categorically denied is that CSIS briefed Trudeau’s team in 2019 that a Liberal candidate was being supported by Beijing, but the team still let him run.

When Trudeau was asked about the allegation he didn’t directly comment on it and instead said concerns were related to anti-Asian racism.

The implicated individual, Liberal MP Han Dong, has called the allegation “inaccurate and irresponsible.”

With mounting pressure to hold a public inquiry in Beijing’s election interference, Trudeau announced on March 6 he would appoint a special rapporteur to look into the issue.

The rapporteur’s first task will be to determine what next steps need to be taken to solidify Canada’s defences against the interference threat, which Trudeau said could include recommending a public inquiry or another mechanism.