Tories’ Foreign Critic Says Trudeau Used Inquiry for Partisan Attack

Conservative MP Michael Chong leaves the Public Inquiry Into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions after appearing as a witness, in Ottawa on April 3, 2024. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld

Conservative MP Michael Chong is accusing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of using his testimony at the foreign interference inquiry to launch a partisan attack against the Tories.

Concerns about China’s foreign interference have intensified since the release of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) report in June, which said that some parliamentarians are “’semi-witting or witting' participants in the efforts of foreign states to interfere in our politics.”

The prime minister’s reluctance to disclose the names of parliamentarians involved in foreign interference suggests his motivation of “wanting to keep all of this secret for his own partisan purposes,” Chong, the Conservatives’ foreign affairs critic, said in an Oct. 17 interview with CBC News.

“The prime minister used the public inquiry as an opportunity for a partisan attack job to smear the Conservative Party and the Conservative Party leader,” Chong added.

Trudeau said in his Oct. 16 testimony that he had names of “candidates in the Conservative Party of Canada,” as well as other current and former parliamentarians, who are “engaged or at high risk of or for whom there is clear intelligence around foreign interference.”

Chong noted that Trudeau did not mention the intelligence he has regarding members of the Liberal caucus who may be involved in foreign interference until questioned on the issue by the Conservative Party lawyer.

The Epoch Times contacted the Prime Minister’s Office for comment on Chong’s remark, but did not immediately hear back.

‘Ready to Question Intelligence’

Trudeau criticized Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre during his testimony at the inquiry for not obtaining the necessary security clearance to see the unredacted version of the NSICOP report. By not doing so, Trudeau said the Opposition leader is not “standing up” for the MPs in his party in case the intelligence is “shoddy or incomplete.”

“We are ready to question intelligence when it comes towards the Liberal Party members, because we need to make sure if you’re going to end someone’s career, you’re doing it in a responsible way,” Trudeau said. He previously said that he does not agree with some conclusions in the NSICOP report, pointing to differing opinions among other party leaders who have read it in full.

Poilievre responded to Trudeau’s testimony in an Oct. 16 statement, accusing the prime minister of “lying” in an effort to distract from mounting pressure among his caucus members to resign as leader. He also alleged Trudeau was attempting to conceal the fact that he ignored Beijing’s election meddling, a move Poilievre described as beneficial to the Liberal Party.

While other opposition parties have accepted the government’s offer to obtain security clearance to view the full NSICOP report, Poilievre has rejected it, saying it would limit his ability as Opposition leader to openly criticize the government on security matters.

The Conservatives have urged the Liberal government to disclose the names of the parliamentarians involved in foreign interference, saying that withholding this information casts suspicion on all lawmakers.

The Liberal government says disclosing the names publicly would be irresponsible, and that some of the information hasn’t been corroborated.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh expressed alarm in June after reviewing the redacted NSICOP report, saying he is “more convinced than ever” that some parliamentarians are involved in foreign collusion. At an Oct. 17 press conference, he reiterated his call for the release of their names. Singh also noted that Poilievre is the only federal party leader without security clearance to view the document, which he described as “very disturbing.”

Similarly, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, who has also read the full NSICOP report, said in an Oct. 17 statement that a redacted paragraph in the public version that suggests foreign interference involving India occurred in a Conservative Party leadership race. She urged Poilievre to obtain security clearance to review the document.

Noé Chartier contributed to this report.