Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet says he hopes the federal government and opposition leaders can agree on next steps in the process to probe allegations of foreign meddling in Canadian politics before Parliament breaks for the summer.
Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc said earlier this month he would consult with opposition parties on the process after David Johnston announced he would resign as special rapporteur on foreign interference.
The former governor general blamed his resignation on a hyper-partisan environment that was eroding trust in the process.
Even before his sudden departure, Johnston was under intense scrutiny from opposition MPs over his prior relationship with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s family — allegations he shrugged off.
Opposition parties have been pushing for a public inquiry into foreign interference. Johnston recommended against such an inquiry, arguing it would be too difficult to hold one when national security information must be kept secret.
After Johnston’s departure, LeBlanc said the government would listen to opposition leaders’ advice on the terms of an inquiry and would take their suggestions on people to lead it.
During a news conference Wednesday, Blanchet said he hopes an agreement on an inquiry will be announced within “hours.” He later said the announcement could come in “days.”
“I believe that we have to agree on something before the end of the [sitting] and the end of the [sitting] can go no further than Friday night,” he said.
Conservatives stand ready to work with other parties to help set up a non-partisan public inquiry into Beijing’s interference.<br><br>All the Prime Minister needs to do is call one. <a href=”https://t.co/dcc2NFLJad”>pic.twitter.com/dcc2NFLJad</a>
—@PierrePoilievre
The House of Commons is expected to break for the summer later this week.
MP Mark Holland, the government’s leader in the House, wouldn’t comment on any conversations about a public inquiry.
“At this point they are ongoing and it is important for those conversations to continue to move,” he said Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre published a letter he sent to LeBlanc saying the Conservatives would offer the government a list of names of individuals who could lead the process only after Trudeau calls an independent public inquiry.
The Bloc has submitted to the government a list of people it thinks could lead an inquiry.
Among those on the list supplied by the Bloc is former Supreme Court of Canada justice Louise Arbour, who was recently tasked with reviewing sexual misconduct in the Canadian military.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has said he thinks a committee should be struck to decide who could lead a potential inquiry.
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