After weeks of resistance, and ahead of a vote that could have compelled it to happen, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office announced Tuesday that his chief of staff Katie Telford will testify about foreign election interference, before a committee that has been studying the issue for months.
The committee has also agreed to invite the national Liberal and Conservative campaign directors from the 2019 and 2021 elections to appear, as well as former top Conservative PMO official Jenni Byrne and then-Conservative leader Erin O’Toole’s chief of staff Tauscha Michaud.
However, Singh—without his hands tied by desire to keep the supply-and-confidence deal alive—outlined a clear line in the sand, that the Liberals met. Trudeau has committed that, should Johnston recommend a public inquiry, the federal government would abide by that advice, which is now slated to be received by the end of May. The NDP had tried on Tuesday to have the House vote on calling a public inquiry but accused the Conservatives of blocking that attempt.
After question period, Poilievre's motion that MPs spent most of Monday debating failed to pass. The proposal sought to have the House instruct the opposition-dominated Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics Committee to strike a fresh study into Chinese interference in the last two federal elections.
During his time as democratic reform minister under former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper, Poilievre was opposed to having staff testify at committees. Now, Poilievre’s position has been that because Telford was involved with Trudeau's campaigns, from his leadership bid through the last two federal elections, she would be aware of all of the intelligence briefings he'd been provided.
"This is evidence in my opinion, of Parliament working," Government House Leader Mark Holland told reporters of the Telford testimony compromise despite Liberal MPs spending days of committee time talking out the clock in order to avoid this outcome.
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