Sabrina Maddeaux: Jagmeet Singh out of excuses for staying in ...

The immediate result wouldn't be voters back at the ballot box, but a return to the minority government originally given to the Liberals

Published May 30, 2023  •  Last updated 1 hour ago  •  3 minute read

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh in Windsor on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. (DAX MELMER/Windsor Star)

This week will mark the federal NDP’s second attempt to compel Justin Trudeau to acquiesce to a public inquiry on foreign election interference. In March, the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois joined the NDP’s Opposition Day motion pressing him to do so, which was not binding, and was of course roundly ignored by the Prime Minister.

The Liberals demurred and sidestepped the motion by pointing to the ongoing work of special rapporteur David Johnston. “I think we should let him do his work,” said Justice Minister David Lametti.

Now, the results of Johnston’s work are in and opposition parties’ fears were proven right all along. There is still no meaningful transparency on election interference or growing concerns about the intimidation of MPs.

Add to that concerns about Johnston’s impartiality, which even Singh now acknowledges. To clarify for some senior Liberals who either can’t or won’t grasp the meaning of conflict of interest — Johnston doesn’t need to actually be compromised; the appearance that he may be is enough to render him unfit. This is even more true in such a delicate and trust-based position as his.

If NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is going to show he’s serious about protecting Canadian democracy, the time is now. This week, his party will again file an Opposition Day motion not just demanding a public inquiry, but also for Johnston to “step aside.” It will almost certainly once again be supported by the Conservatives and the Bloc.

If the motion is indeed passed, and Trudeau once again ignores it, Singh will have the ultimate opportunity to prove he’s serious about the issue. He can, and should, walk away from the confidence-and-supply agreement.

Singh has signalled in the past he’s not willing to force an election over the issue, but it should be highlighted that an election and continuing to effectively give the Liberals majority rule aren’t the only two options at hand.

If Singh walks away from the deal, the immediate result isn’t voters back at the ballot box — it’s a return to the minority government Canadians originally gave Trudeau.

This would not only send a message to both Liberals and the public about the status quo’s unacceptability, but force the Liberals to negotiate with opposition parties going forward in order to pass their agenda. A ruling party so disdainful of any attempts at accountability and transparency doesn’t deserve to govern essentially unchecked.

If there was any glimmer of hope the foreign interference matter could be resolved via special rapporteur, it’s now entirely gone. Johnston’s report revealed disturbing government dysfunction, but no real answers to the crucial questions of what exactly happened, who knew about it and, if they didn’t know about it, how much wilful blindness played a role. Most importantly, how can Canadians trust in the system going forward?

Then, in Singh’s words, there’s the “mounting appearance of bias.” There were, of course, the initial concerns about Johnston’s closeness with the Trudeau family and Trudeau Foundation.

But perhaps even more concerning are Johnston’s historic ties to Beijing, resurfaced this week by Journal de Montreal and my colleague Terry Glavin. These include being considered a “friend of China” by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping, who he was personally meeting with in 2017 at the exact time Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights activist Liu Xiaobo died under CCP watch. He’d been serving an 11-year sentence for challenging one-party rule when he was diagnosed with liver cancer. The CCP refused to allow him to travel for necessary treatment.

Johnston also played a key role in founding the controversial Beijing-funded Confucius Institute at the University of Waterloo, for which he received an honorary doctorate presented by the secretary of the CCP.

Any one of these concerns should be enough for Singh to back away from his deal with Trudeau should he once again ignore demands for a public inquiry and Johnston’s exit as special rapporteur. Not wanting an election isn’t a valid excuse for continuing to prop up an arrogant Liberal party. Singh shouldn’t be allowed to pretend it is one.

National Post