NDP Motion Asks Johnston to Step Down as Special Rapporteur

New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh listens to a question from a reporter during a news conference, on Oct. 5, 2022 in Ottawa. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party will be introducing a non-binding motion in the House of Commons calling on David Johnston to resign from his role as special rapporteur on foreign election interference due to what Singh called a “clear appearance of bias” on Johnston’s part.

“Given the clear apprehension of bias at this point, we are going to be asking for Mr. Johnson to step aside as special rapporteur,” Singh told reporters in Ottawa on May 29.

Singh added that he has been “very clear” in not personally attacking Johnston, but that recent reports of one of Johnston’s key advisors donating to the Liberal Party is the latest issue in a “mounting appearance of bias.”

“It is very clear that the appearance of bias is so high that it erodes the work that the special rapporteur can do,” Singh said.

In addition to calling on the House to vote on whether it believes Johnston should maintain his role as special rapporteur, Singh said the NDP motion will also call on the government to conduct its investigation into foreign election interference “in a way that does re-instill confidence in our electoral system.”

Singh also said the NDP would once again be calling for an independent public inquiry into election interference, which the House previously called upon the government to initiate.

Singh’s signalling of the intended motion comes less than a week after Johnston wrote in his first report on foreign election interference that the federal government should not call for a public inquiry into meddling by Beijing due to the confidential nature of intelligence information that would need to be presented.

Johnston, who was appointed special rapporteur on March 15 by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, instead recommended that a number of public hearings be held to address possible foreign interference in Canada.

Johnston also said after tabling his first report on May 23 that he was open to a public inquiry prior to starting his review in March, but said calling for one would’ve been the “easy choice” and not necessarily the “correct one.”

Johnston received criticism from all federal opposition parties for his decision and also for a report issued two days later by a citizen group saying that Johnston’s key advisor, Sheila Block, appeared to have previously made donations to the Liberal Party of Canada totalling over $7,500.

Trudeau defended Johnston’s decision at the time, saying he continues to have “total confidence” in Johnston’s work as special rapporteur and that the Liberal government will follow his recommendations.

Noé Chartier contributed to this report.