Justin Trudeau to appoint special rapporteur to probe foreign interference in elections
GuardianMAR 10 2023
Canadian parliament member Han Dong has stepped down from his party’s caucus over allegations that he lobbied a Chinese diplomat to keep two Canadians imprisoned in China.
Dong says that he will leave PM Justin Trudeau’s governing Liberal Party to sit as an independent, although he denies all allegations against him.
He came under fire after Global News published a report alleging that Dong spoke about Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig with a Chinese diplomat in Toronto in February 2021. The two men were detained in China for 1K days in apparent retaliation for the 2018 arrest of a Huawei executive.
Global News made some strong allegations against MP Han Dong, and its report has too many inconsistencies and lacks the proper sourcing to be considered legitimate. The media outlet couldn't even name its sources while claiming Mr. Dong and other candidates benefited from Chinese interference without any evidence. Global News can’t be trusted on this story.
Trudeau’s government is in a world of trouble in the wake of Global News' latest story about Han Dong’s alleged interference with Chinese diplomats. Global News leaked intelligence information, and there's clear evidence and motive for Dong to lobby China to keep two Canadians detained. Liberals are scared, which is why they are trying to undermine the entire story’s legitimacy.