Liberals show contempt for Parliament when asked about interference

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The Trudeau Liberals showed utter contempt for Parliament, for the sanctity of our elections and democratic institutions on Wednesday. Asked about the report that said some MPs have spied on others or worked directly with foreign governments, Trudeau’s ministers were dismissive.

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They claimed the opposition didn’t know enough to question the government, they thanked the parties for their assistance on other issues or chastised them for not asking about the economy.

It was a disgusting display from a government that is showing on a daily basis that they are well past their best before date. Having the governments of China, India or Iran interfere in Canada’s democracy, our elections or the work of Members of Parliament is a very serious issue. You wouldn’t know it based on the Liberal response.

“There are members of this House that have knowingly worked for foreign hostile governments. Canadians have a right to know who and what is the information, who are they,” Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said.

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“If he wanted to get the appropriate security clearance and be able to see the confidential report of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, he would be much more informed than he is now,” Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc responded.

Of course, LeBlanc knows that if Poilievre read the full confidential report, he couldn’t tell Canadians what’s in the report, he couldn’t ask questions based on the material or hint at what is in it without the risk of being prosecuted for violating the law. That’s a point that NSICOP Chair, Liberal MP David McGuinty, made several times on Wednesday. He can’t say more than what is in the public report without facing jail time.

The Liberals know this but play to their base, which is filled with conspiracy theories claiming Poilievre can’t pass a security clearance. Poilievre’s answer to LeBlanc was spot on.

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“We don’t need secrets and confidentiality, that’s what got us into this problem in the first place. What we need are the facts so that Canadians can judge,” Poilievre said.

The Liberal response was no better when the other opposition parties asked the government to deal with the fact that some sitting MPs may be compromised and working with foreign governments.

“If someone among us is under foreign influence rather than representing their fellow citizens, they don’t belong here and should leave. What will the government do make sure that happens?” Bloc Quebecois MP Alain Therrien asked.

“I find it surprising that even the Bloc Quebecois doesn’t want to talk about the economy,” Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said.

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She went on to talk about the great state of the Canadian economy — great only in her mind — and to point to the Bank of Canada interest rate cut. She had the same pathetic, disrespectful answer for NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.

It truly was an affront to Parliament the way they behaved.

Conservative MP Michael Chong, a man who we know was targeted by China’s foreign interference operations, rose in the House to take the government to task only to be met with the same dismissive tone.

“I can’t believe the following needs to be said, a parliamentarian’s duty is not to a foreign state, but to the people of Canada. A simple question. Will the Prime Minister released the names of these parliamentarians?” Chong asked.

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“We all know that no responsible government would reveal names under these types of confidential circumstances,” LeBlanc said before going on to goad Poilievre about reading the report and getting his security clearance once again.

Yet, as we found out later on Wednesday when the annual report of NSICOP was released, the Trudeau government still hasn’t released the full depth and breadth of documents on this matter to the committee, they are still hiding material

Parliament has been compromised, our elections have been compromised, voters need to know the full story. Only the Trudeau government has the full story and they refuse to release it.

Makes you wonder how damning it is for them.

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