Amid renewed questions over the pervasiveness of alleged interference by China in Canadian elections and affairs broadly, opposition MPs voted Thursday afternoon to affirm a parliamentary committee's call for the federal government to strike a public inquiry.
The report the majority of MPs voted in favour ofbut not be limited to foreign interference allegations during elections, and to look at foreign governments beyond China.
"It has become very clear now with allegations coming out on a daily basis that are continuing to erode peoples' confidence in our democracy, that we need a public inquiry," said NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh during a pre-question period scrum. "My goal is to safeguard democracy, encourage people to participate, make sure people feel comfortable voting and feel safe to vote and are not being influenced in their votes. That goal is met by having a public inquiry. That goal is not met by triggering an election, which would then be an election open to all those same potential risks of interference.
Citing unnamed "national security sources," Global News reported that Dong had suggested to a senior Chinese diplomat in 2021 that China should delay releasing Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor -- the two Canadians who had been imprisoned in China from 2018 to 2021 -- in order to avoid benefitting the Conservative Party. CTV News has not independently verified Global News' reporting.
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