The motion is non-binding but increases pressure on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government to launch a broad public inquiry into whether foreign players, in particular China, tried to meddle in the 2021 and 2019 general elections.
A Canadian parliamentary committee passed a motion on Thursday calling on the federal government to set up a public inquiry into allegations of foreign election interference, after listening to testimony from top intelligence officials.
The motion is non-binding but increases pressure on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government to launch a broad public inquiry into whether foreign players, in particular China, tried to meddle in the 2021 and 2019 general elections. Canadian opposition parties this week stepped up their push for such a move.
China’s foreign minister, Qin Gang, refuted allegations that Chinese embassies and consulates in Canada were trying to interfere in Canadian elections, calling them “completely false and nonsensical.”
Liberal lawmakers on the Procedure and House Affairs Committee voted against the motion for a broad public inquiry, but were outnumbered 6-5 by lawmakers from opposition parties.
The vote came after the head of Canada’s spy agency told the committee there was no major foreign election interference in the country’s last two votes, but there is an investigation underway into media reports citing secret intelligence on Chinese influence.
source: indiatoday
