Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has caved to pressure from opposition to have his Chief of Staff testify on what she knew about Chinese election interference, and when she told him.
Over the past two weeks, the Trudeau Liberals had filibustered all attempts to have Telford testify. For a combined twenty-four hours in the Procedure and House Affairs Committee (PROC), Liberal MPs read books on the record and talked gibberish, clearly doing everything they could to keep Telford from testifying.
In fact, non-Liberal MPs in that same committee previously voted in favour of having a public inquiry into Chinese interference in Canadian elections, but Trudeau snubbed the idea and instead opted to appoint his own handpicked “special rapporteur” to investigate the matter, appointing his family friend David Johnston.
Subsequently, the Conservatives put forward a new motion in the House of Commons, which was set for a vote on Tuesday. Bloq Québécois and Conservative MPs were expected to vote in favour of the motion, but they would have needed the New Democrat Party’s (NDP) support as well to get enough votes.
It thus appears Trudeau didn’t trust the NDP would back him on the motion to block Telford from testifying. Instead of being forced to have Telford testify, Trudeau is now “choosing” to do so.
Furthermore, this decision allows the Trudeau Liberals to maintain a semblance of control over Telford’s testimony. The Conservatives’ motion that Trudeau is avoiding would have required Telford to testify before a Conservative-led Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics.
But Trudeau’s decision to stop hiding Telford means she’ll testify in front of the current election PROC interference committee, which is overseen by Liberal MP Bardish Chagger.
Last week, a poll showed that one in five Canadians don’t believe Trudeau was legitimately elected as questions about Chinese electoral interference mount.
