(OTTAWA) Federal Democratic Institutions Minister Dominique LeBlanc is confirming his intention to entrust a permanent commission of inquiry with investigating allegations of collusion between MPs and agents of foreign interference.
But he declined, at least for now, the senator’s request to give Commissioner Marie-Josie Hogue the authority to publicly name the representatives involved.
Parliament’s National Security and Intelligence Committee said in a public report last week that some MPs knowingly aided efforts by foreign states to interfere in Canadian politics.
Questioned before the committee by Senator Claude Carignan, Mr. LeBlanc, Govt Ms.me Hoke the “Appropriate Order” to investigate the matter.
However, he said it was a “question of law” for the commission to make the names public, adding that he did not want to “put an opinion before an important judge”.me Hogue sits on the Quebec Court of Appeal.
Mr. Carignan argued that he should have “the power to name persons where violations or crimes have been committed” and refer the matter to the courts for criminal investigations.
Mr. LeBlanc replied, “It’s not a yes or no question.”
The minister pointed out that Mme Hogue will be provided with the necessary documents to examine these questions, but there is no clear mechanism for making decisions about the impeachment of each vice president.
The House of Commons on Tuesday voted in favor of a Bloc Québécois motion for a federal inquiry to examine the unproven allegations.
Green Party leader Elizabeth May, who has a top secret security clearance, said she was “very relieved” after reading an uncensored version of the report on Tuesday.
According to her, the representatives named there did not knowingly want to betray Canada.
He argued that the unnamed former lawmaker accused in the report of sharing privileged information with a foreign agent in advance should be fully investigated by authorities.
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh and Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet have also indicated their willingness to be briefed on the full Intelligence Watch report.
Mr Singh was due to see the unaudited report on Wednesday evening and would comment on it on Thursday.
He promised the NDP MP would be kicked out of the assembly if the document shows he knowingly interfered. He suggested that other party leaders adopt a similar approach.
Asked whether he would use his parliamentary privilege to release the report’s full findings to the House of Commons, Mr Singh said on Wednesday he would not do “anything that would endanger national security”.
For his part, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre did not move to obtain the necessary security clearance to read the full report.
As they gathered for their weekly caucus meeting on Wednesday, Conservative MPs did not stop to answer questions from reporters.
Liberal MP David McGinty, chairman of the parliamentary intelligence watchdog, said national security and intelligence should not be a partisan issue.
“We need to have a conversation with adults about how to deal with this in our own parties. The stakes are huge. “Our democracy is in danger,” he said.
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