Justin Trudeau to appoint special rapporteur to probe foreign interference in elections
GuardianDec 23, 2022
The Facts
On Monday, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau announced an independent special rapporteur to investigate recent allegations of Chinese interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections and two probes by the parliament’s national security committee and Canada’s National Security and Intelligence Review Agency.
This comes after Canadian media reports cited anonymous intelligence sources claiming China's influence in the previous two elections. Police are currently investigating the reports for potential violations of security laws.
The Spin
Right narrative
Trudeau's appointment of an "independent" special rapporteur is nothing more than an attempt to buy more time. There's no obligation for the prime minister to act on any recommendations, and the decision takes the pressure off Trudeau for the weeks to come. Having repeatedly attempted to shrug off the issue, this move is nothing but damage control instead of objective action — unsurprising, considering Trudeau's liberal government stood to benefit the most from China's alleged interference.
Left narrative
The ultimate question for Trudeau is whether he has done or will do everything he can to maintain trust in Canadian democracy. Appointing an independent investigator is a step in this direction. While it's fair to ask whether the government has so far responded correctly — just as it's fair to question the credibility of the media reports — using obscure data to make allegations of a government coverup is unacceptable.
Pro-China narrative
Trudeau's popularity is on the decline, and this has led to the common Western practice of summoning imaginary accusations against China to divert the public's attention from Canada's own failings. The "China interference" claims are absurd — as are Trudeau's investigations — and shouldn't be taken seriously.
