QUESTION PERIOD — Foreign Affairs
Foreign Interference
May 30, 2023
Leader, my next question concerns the cover-up released by the Prime Minister’s made-up Independent Special Rapporteur on Foreign Interference. The fix was in from the start, and we could all see it happening. The Trudeau government will do all it can to never allow a public inquiry into Beijing’s meddling in our elections.
In his report and remarks to the media, the Special Rapporteur blamed the media and the opposition. He said whistle-blowers at the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service, or CSIS, were motivated by malice. He looked at only some of the leaks, and the words “Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation” do not appear in his report. All of this is taken straight from Prime Minister Trudeau’s playbook. He could have written the report himself. He needn’t have bothered with the Special Rapporteur.
Leader, why should the made-up Special Rapporteur and this cover-up carry more weight than the majority of the members of Parliament who voted for a public inquiry?
Thank you for your question. The Government of Canada has confidence in the Special Rapporteur, the Honourable David Johnston, and in the quality of his report — which, again, I urge those in this chamber and Canadians to read.
I will have to continue to state — although it is becoming tiresome — that the imputations and challenges to the integrity of both the former Governor General and of the Prime Minister, as well as the use of words like “cover-up,” “fix” and all of that, are beneath the dignity of this chamber. The issue of foreign interference is a serious issue. This government has taken it very seriously, and, indeed, for those of you who have taken the time to read the report, you will notice that in section VI(2), there is a long list of the initiatives that this government has taken to address foreign election interference and more to come, as announced by the Special Rapporteur.
Serious issues that affect our security and well-being need to be addressed in a serious way by serious people. The innuendos and imputations of lack of integrity simply fall far short of that standard.
We all know, leader, that it is indeed inconvenient to have an opposition in this house — that is your problem. You are tired of answering questions; we are tired of asking questions that you either don’t know or refuse to answer. Why don’t you call the Prime Minister and get the answers if you don’t know them? The made-up Special Rapporteur asked a judge if he was in a conflict of interest due to his long-standing ties to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and the Trudeau family. Was anyone surprised that the judge is the Special Rapporteur’s close friend who has his very own links to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation? The made-up Special Rapporteur also hired a lawyer to assist in his work. Did it honestly surprise anyone to learn that the lawyer donated more than $7,500 to the federal Liberal Party since 2006?
This is ludicrous. Wouldn’t it be great if the Trudeau government showed as much effort when working to protect Canadians as they do trying to cover up — and, again, I’ll use that word — the fix —
Do you have a question, Senator Plett?
Yes, I have a question. The Prime Minister never wanted a public inquiry. He has gone to great lengths to avoid one because he benefited from Beijing’s interference.
Leader, here is the question: The Prime Minister designed this whole farce to absolve himself. According to the polls, a majority of Canadians want the public inquiry, but your Liberal government has basically said that they’re wasting their breath. Isn’t that right? I know you don’t want to answer it, but have the courage to do the right thing.
I will answer it. You are wrong, dead wrong. Once again, I wish that the opposition in this place was not —
You wish there was no opposition.
No, I’d be happy if there were an opposition that was as independent as you claim to be. I wish there were an opposition that did not put partisanship upon the protection of Canadian national security. I wish we had an opposition or a Leader of the Opposition in the other place who had the courage to read the information as opposed to protecting himself —
— protecting himself so that, without the proper basis, he could spin whatever tales that he would, unencumbered by any exposure to the evidence, which he has been invited to read.
The time for Question Period has expired.
