David Johnston, the independent special rapporteur on foreign interference that Canadian Prime Minister Justice Trudeau appointed in March, has resigned amidst controversy over leaked information about China’s alleged meddling in Canadian elections. In his resignation letter, Johnston wrote that his leadership had had the opposite effect of his objective, which was to help build trust in Canada’s democratic institutions. Johnston recommended that Canadian leaders review and reform various government systems and policies dealing with foreign interference and appoint a person with national security experience to complete the work recommended in his first report. The opposition Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre accused Johnston of being too close to Trudeau’s family and “helping Trudeau cover up the influence by Beijing in our democracy,” while all opposition parties have called for the government to hold a public inquiry into the allegations of foreign interference. Earlier this year, Canada expelled a Chinese diplomat who was involved in a plot to intimidate an opposition Conservative lawmaker and his relatives. Canada’s relationship with China has been fraught after the country detained two Canadian citizens and Canada arrested the chief financial officer of Huawei, Meng Wanzhou.
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