Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of “lying” during Trudeau’s testimony at the public inquiry into foreign interference on Wednesday, in which Trudeau alleged the Conservative leader didn’t have the proper security clearance to be briefed on foreign interference by law enforcement.
Trudeau lashed out at Poilievre during his testimony, accusing him of refusing to protect his own party from foreign threats.
Trudeau spent several hours on Wednesday testifying for the second time at the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions.
Trudeau criticized Poilievre for not reading the NSICOP report, which he said would allow him to take appropriate actions within the Conservative Party.
“The decision of the leader of the Conservative Party not to get those classified briefings means that nobody in his party, not him and nobody in a position of power, knows the names of these individuals and can take appropriate action,” said Trudeau. “It also means nobody is there to stand up for those individuals if the intelligence is shoddy or incomplete or just allegations from a single source.”
Trudeau admitted he was getting more partisan than he had hoped during the case.
“But it is so egregious to me that the leader of the official opposition, who is certainly trying very hard to become Prime Minister, is choosing to play partisan games with foreign interference,” said Trudeau. “The decision of the leader of the Conservative Party to not receive the necessary clearance to get those names and protect the integrity of his party is bewildering to me and entirely lacks common sense.”
He added that the lack of curiosity or openness to determine whether someone was compromised or whether foreign governments influence leadership races was “irresponsible.”
Poilievre told True North that his message to Trudeau was simple: “Release the names of all MPs that have collaborated with foreign interference.”
“But he won’t. Because Justin Trudeau is doing what he always does: he is lying. He is lying to distract from a Liberal caucus revolt against his leadership and revelations he knowingly allowed Beijing to interfere and help him win two elections,” said Poilievre.
Poilievre said he was briefed on Oct. 14 about foreign interference from India.
“The CSIS Act allows the government to offer information to any Canadian about specific risks of foreign interference without forcing them into sworn secrecy or controlling what they say,” he said.
However, Poilievre said that receiving a secret briefing would prevent the recipient from using that information in any manner.
During his testimony, Trudeau claimed that he had the names of numerous parliamentarians, former parliamentarians, and candidates of the Conservative Party who were engaged or at high risk of foreign interference.
Poilievre said the opposite, claiming that his Chief of Staff has received classified briefings from the government but has never been told that any current or former Conservative parliamentarian has participated in foreign interference.
“If Justin Trudeau has evidence to the contrary, he should share it with the public. Now that he has blurted it out in general terms at a commission of inquiry – he should release the facts. But he won’t – because he is making it up,” said Poilievre. “It is beyond rich for Justin Trudeau to grandstand, given that the record now shows that he and his government, with all the benefits of government agencies, were repeatedly warned about foreign interference – including within the Liberal Party – and refused to act.”
The Conservative leader said that Trudeau and his government repeatedly claimed ignorance of foreign interference, despite a paper trail of warnings to the contrary.
“It is Justin Trudeau’s government which mysteriously sat on a CSIS surveillance warrant application for a Liberal power-broker for fifty-four days,” said Poilievre. “It is Justin Trudeau’s party that willingly allowed the PRC consulate to bus in PRC international high school students to vote in the now infamous Han Dong nomination race.”
“It is Justin Trudeau who has ignored my calls to release the names of Parliamentarians referenced in this spring’s NSICOP report who have wittingly worked for the benefit of foreign governments against the interests of Canada.”
Following Wednesday’s hearing, the inquiry will move to the next phase of policy roundtables to inform the commissioner’s final recommendations, due by the end of 2024.