David Johnston’s first report on foreign interference states at the outset that democracy is built on trust.
It is truly unfortunate that his rejection of a full public inquiry is likely to further erode faith that is already wavering.
Canada’s Corrupt Liberal Government
You’re paying for Ottawa’s addiction to EV gambling
In my high school yearbook, my mother inscribed: “Good, Better, Best! Never let it rest ‘til you make your good better and your better best!” The Trudeau government seems determined to stand this idea on its head — Bad, Badder, Worst! Never stop at first! Make your bad ideas badder, and your badder worst!
‘I will not be silenced’: Pierre Poilievre calls on David Johnston to resign, refuses request to review foreign interference intelligence
OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is refusing to review classified information on foreign state interference, stating he won’t be “silenced” as he continues to claim — contrary to the conclusion of a new report he dismissed as untrustworthy — that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau might be “complicit” in Chinese efforts to meddle in Canadian democracy.
Speaking in Quebec City on Tuesday, Poilievre did not waver from his party’s criticism of former governor general David Johnston, who published an interim report earlier in the day as the government’s “special rapporteur” on foreign political interference.
Trudeau Says He Has ‘Total Confidence’ in Johnston After Decision on Public Inquiry
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday he has “total confidence” in the work being done by special rapporteur David Johnston, who earlier in the day recommended against holding a public inquiry into allegations of foreign interference in Canada’s elections.
“I committed to listening very carefully and abiding by the recommendations that the former governor general made, and he explained and justified his thought processes by it and we will be following his recommendations,” Trudeau told reporters.
Erin O’Toole blasts former Governor General David Johnston for ‘disappointing’ study of foreign interference
OTTAWA—Former Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole says the federal government’s point-person on alleged foreign interference – former Governor General David Johnston – only met with him as a “box-checking exercise,” and that he doesn’t trust his study of the issue to seriously address concerns about Canadian democracy.
O’Toole, the Oshawa MP who led the Conservatives in the 2021 election, added his voice to the chorus of opposition skepticism about how the Liberal government is handling allegations of Chinese state interference, which has grown in recent months into a political firestorm fuelled by a series of intelligence leaks to the media.
"We need a full public inquiry to get to the bottom of Beijing's interference in our democracy. And that's what I will deliver when I am prime minister," Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre vows as he reacts to David Johnston's recommendation against holding inquiry.#cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/0abEXpv1pg
— CPAC (@CPAC_TV) May 23, 2023
Canadians who say they were targeted by Beijing slam China Grifter David Johnston: ‘Another day of being unheard’
Canadians who say they have been targeted by China expressed anger at Tuesday’s decision by former governor general David Johnston to reject a formal inquiry into foreign interference, saying that “toothless” public hearings will be unlikely to lead to action.
Johnston rejected calls for a public inquiry saying it would be impeded by the need to keep classified intelligence a secret.
“I have concluded it would not serve a useful purpose to enhance trust,” Johnston said, but said he would use his mandate to hold public hearings on how Ottawa can best respond to foreign interference activities in Canada.
Citizen Group to File Complaint With Ethics Commissioner Over Johnston’s Role as Special Rapporteur
A national democracy advocacy organization is filing a complaint with the federal ethics commissioner’s office, alleging that former governor general David Johnston is violating the Conflict of Interest Act in carrying out his appointed role as special rapporteur on foreign election interference because of his previous connections to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s family.
The NGO Democracy Watch announced it would be filing the complaint on May 23—the same day Johnston released his first report on his ongoing investigation into reports of interference in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 elections. Trudeau appointed Johnston as special rapporteur on the matter in March.
He’s so full of shit.
Trudeau’s pissed his media dared to question him. pic.twitter.com/KBOBAa47m2
— Glenda M 🇨🇦 (@McfarlaneGlenda) May 23, 2023
Trudeau Flunky & Fellow China Grifter David Johnston rules out public inquiry into Communist China’s interference in Canadian politics
Former governor general David Johnston says China’s interference in Canadian politics is an “increasing threat to our democratic system” but ruled out a public inquiry on the matter, saying intelligence on Beijing’s activities is highly classified and could never be openly discussed with Canadians.
In a 55-page report tabled Tuesday, Mr. Johnston said he uncovered no proof that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ignored intelligence briefings on Chinese influence operations in the 2019 and 2021 elections, or warnings of attempts by Beijing to intimidate Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong.
“I have not found examples of ministers, the Prime Minister or their offices knowingly ignoring intelligence, advice or recommendations on foreign interference or being driven by partisan considerations in dealing with these issues,” he wrote.
The slimy bastards.
This is an unmitigated disaster. He is explaining at length why it is incumbent upon the public not to question his impartiality, rather than upon him as a public officeholder not to put the public in a position of having to wonder.
— Andrew Coyne 🇺🇦 (@acoyne) May 23, 2023
No public inquiry: David Johnston to instead conduct public hearings on foreign interference
Erin O’Toole says special rapporteur only met with him as report was already being translated – Review was ‘set up to fail’ by Liberals, says former Conservative leader
"A public inquiry examining the leaked materials could not be undertaken in public given the sensitivity of the intelligence," special rapporteur David Johnston says as he recommends holding public hearings instead of a formal inquiry on foreign interference. #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/xYlwjNoRnD
— CPAC (@CPAC_TV) May 23, 2023
PBO Stands By Report That ‘Clean Fuel Regulations’ Will Hurt Canadian Households Financially
Despite fierce criticism from the Liberals, the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) stands by his analysis of the government’s Clean Fuel Regulations (CFR), which finds that Canada’s lower-income households will bear a greater burden in terms of disposable income due to the increased costs associated with the policy.
The CFR aims to reduce carbon emissions from fossil fuels by 26 million tonnes by 2030, while the government further strives for net-zero emissions by 2050. This policy, however, comes at the cost of an estimated $231 for lower-income households and up to $1,008 for higher-income households at the national level in 2030, according to the PBO’s distributional analysis.
Meanwhile in the UK …
🚨 | NEW: A builder loses it with Just Stop Oil protestors and begins throwing them out of the road before he is jumped on and ARRESTED by the police pic.twitter.com/HujkWhZIlX
— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) May 23, 2023
Question immigration? CSIS is watching. Question Covid policy? CSIS is watching. Speak out against the sexual mutilation of children? CSIS is watching.
Jamie Sarkonak: Is wokeness driving CSIS’s new approach to counter-terrorism?
Half of the country’s counter-terrorism resources are dedicated to ideological threats, says the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). With such a strong focus, it’s worthwhile to ask whether CSIS is a hammer in search of a nail.
… Indeed, COVID misinformation is included as a threat factor to Canada, along with Chinese interference and targeting by ISIL, or DAESH. From a distance, it’s hard to say whether this is actually a rising threat, or whether CSIS is simply expanding the scope of national security to appear more inclusive. It’s a distinction that should be made clear.
Ideological extremism of concern is classified by CSIS into four categories: xenophobia, anti-authority sentiments, anti-identity and anti-gender sentiments, and “other” ideological motivations. The final “other” category would include environmental and typically left-wing motivations like environmentalism, though CSIS has said this does not include actions like Indigenous rail blockades.
No wonder CSIS has a patriotic leaker. It appears that another Canadian institution has been compromised by the Liberal Party.
It’s worth noting that the FBI has been caught out fudging the numbers to amplify the “Right-Wing threat.” To the benefit of the Democratic party of course: Democrats Cook the FBI’s Books on Domestic Terrorism
The UK’s “PREVENT” anti-terrorism program went completely off the rails and classified an appreciation of Shakespeare as an indicator of “Right-Wing Extremism” – Is Shakespeare ‘far-right’ now?
In Germany anti-semitic attacks by Muslims are routinely blamed on the “Far-Right” – Germany is accused of downplaying anti-Semitic attacks by Muslims
In Canada we’ve seen our government media work hand in glove with a hate group supporting “Hate Manufacturer” to demonize any opinion to the right of Antifa as “extremist.”
Am I detecting a trend? Bet that gets my name on a list.
Of course reading this blog will likely land you on a CSIS watch list. Sorry bout that;)
Feds Need to Act on Intelligence Briefings, Not Establish More Agencies
We are an odd nation. We aspire to be many things, to be included in multilateral fora, to be noticed. We want to be seen as important, as “not Americans.” Maybe that is partly a consequence of having the United States next door and feelings of inadequacy/fear. As Prime Minister Trudeau—Pierre, not the current version—once put it: “Living next to you is in some ways like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly and even-tempered is the beast … one is affected by every twitch and grunt.”
John Robson: Expect More CSIS Leaks Given Blair’s Inadequate Response to Latest Beijing Interference Allegations
The disintegration continues. The latest revelation about the Trudeau Liberals’ blindness to Chinese election meddling is that then-public safety and emergency preparedness minister Bill Blair took months to grant CSIS a warrant to monitor election activities by former Ontario cabinet minister infamous for his links to communist China. And they still have no idea how to respond.
As my former Sun News colleague Alex Pierson tweeted, “Either they are complicit or incompetent. Everyday it is another jaw dropper.” To which I responded, “Of course they could be both.” And certainly, incompetence is playing a key role.
As inquiry decision looms, here’s how Canada’s foreign interference saga has evolved
With allegations that China meddled in the last two federal elections dominating the political conversation for months, experts say an inquiry would allow for a detailed, transparent conversation about what kind of threat Canada is actually facing.
It would also allow the Liberal government to demonstrate that it is doing more to address the issue, they say.
How we got here: China’s unrelenting influence campaign, the Liberals’ mishandling and the questions that remain
Looking back, we should have known. No, strike that, we knew; everybody knew. However much China might have liberalized its economy, whatever material gains it might have made, it was always clear that the Communist Party of China was the same brutal gang of thugs it always was. The Berlin Wall fell in 1989 because Mikhail Gorbachev would not approve shooting the protesters. That same year, at Tiananmen Square, China went in another direction.
Looking back we should have known that the unholy alliance of the corporate and political class were all too willing to sell Canada to the ChiComs.
Opposition MPs Call on Minister to Testify on Reported Delayed Wiretap Authorization on Michael Chan
Opposition MPs are calling on Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair to appear at committee at the “earliest possible opportunity” over a new report alleging he took months to approve surveillance measures against an important Liberal Party-connected figure in Toronto.
“Canadians need to know why it took so long for the Minister to sign off on this, when it could have been done in a matter of days,” opposition MPs on the House of Commons Procedure and House Affairs Committee (PROC) wrote in a May 19 letter to committee chair Liberal MP Bardish Chagger.