Former governor general David Johnston appears before a Commons committee on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has named former governor general David Johnston as the special rapporteur on foreign interference.
Johnston has been asked to look into allegations of foreign meddling in Canada’s last two federal elections and recommend what the Liberal government should do about it.
That could include a public inquiry, which opposition parties have been calling for, or some other form of investigation.
Johnston was appointed to the viceregal role on the advice of former prime minister Stephen Harper in 2010 and his term was extended under Trudeau until 2017.
Trudeau announced the plan to appoint an “eminent Canadian” to the role earlier this month, saying at the time that the government will abide by the recommendations.
A special parliamentary security committee is also looking into the alleged interference by China in the 2019 and 2021 elections, following reports by Global News and the Globe and Mail.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 15, 2023.
