Canada Launches Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference by China, Russia, and Other Countries in Elections

On Wednesday, Canada announced that a judge will lead a public inquiry into the interference of China, Russia, and other countries in Canada's federal elections in 2019 and 2021, which saw the Liberal Party re-elect Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister. According to the Associated Press, Conservative lawmakers from the opposition party have been calling for a comprehensive public inquiry into potential Chinese interference since early this year. This followed reports from intelligence sources suggesting that China attempted to support the Liberals and defeat Conservative politicians who have a hostile stance towards Beijing. The opposition New Democratic Party later sought to expand the inquiry to include Russia, Iran, and India. Dominic LeBlanc, Canada's Minister of Public Safety, stated on Thursday, September 7, that Marie-Josée Hogue, a judge from the Quebec Court of Appeal, will lead the extensive inquiry, which has the backing of opposition parties. LeBlanc remarked, 'Foreign interference in Canada's democratic institutions is unacceptable.' He added, 'China is not the only foreign player seeking to undermine democratic institutions in Canada or other Western democracies. This challenge is not unique to Canada.' David Johnston, a former governor and one of Justin Trudeau's appointees, had previously rejected calls for a public inquiry into leaked information regarding potential Chinese interference. The Conservative opposition accused him of cover-up. Johnston resigned from his position in June, citing the highly partisan atmosphere surrounding his work. Following this, the Canadian government announced its readiness to initiate a potential public inquiry and invited all parties to discuss the structure of such inquiries over the summer. Canada-China relations soured in 2018 after the arrest of two Canadian citizens, Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat, and Michael Spavor, an entrepreneur, by China. Their arrests occurred shortly after the detention of Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's CFO and daughter of the company's founder, at the request of U.S. authorities in Canada. Meng was arrested in Canada on U.S. charges of multiple financial institution frauds, including circumventing sanctions against Iran.