New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh acknowledges that his party is facing resistance when it comes to including countries other than China in the terms of reference for a public inquiry on foreign interference. Singh explains that the NDP is advocating for the probe to investigate meddling attempts by additional countries such as Russia, India, and Iran. Community groups have raised serious allegations regarding foreign interference from these countries. However, Singh notes that other parties have not been transparent about their stance on expanding the inquiry beyond China, with some parties even resisting the inclusion of the other three countries. The discussions between house leaders from the main federal parties over the summer aim to establish the inquiry’s terms, timeline, and potential leader. Earlier media reports this year suggested that China attempted to interfere in the last two federal elections, although it did not impact the election outcomes.
During the ongoing private conversations with the opposition, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs reveals that discussions about foreign election interference are still in progress. The talks follow earlier media reports of alleged interference by China in the last two federal elections. Although all parties agree that the interference did not affect the election outcomes, New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh emphasizes the importance of including other countries like Russia, India, and Iran in the public inquiry to address community groups’ concerns of foreign interference.
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