Foreign interference talks: Parties trade jabs for bipartisan chats from the cottage
Discussions about a public inquiry on foreign interference have stretched well into the summer, as House leaders put aside political jabs that dominated Parliament for much of the year in exchange for "collaborative" chats from hotel rooms and the cottage.
Alex Marland, head of the political science department at Memorial University, said the shift signals that political leaders are trying to earnestly make progress on an inquiry.
"My sense is that what's happened is all the different political parties have read the public mood, and realized this reaches the status of something that's considered very, very serious," Marland said Thursday.
"There's no time for partisanship on this anymore. Something has to be done, and therefore they all want to be able to find a way to move it forward."
It's a change in tone from the spring when media reports alleged China tried to interfere in the last two federal elections.
"Circus" or "buffoonery" was how some Liberal MPs described the pressure from opposition parties pushing the government to call a public inquiry into accusations of election meddling by bad foreign actors.
At the same time, there was "a lot of grouching" about how the Liberals weren't doing things right, said Laura Stephenson, professor of political science at the University of Western Ontario.
"There was so much negativity going on," she said. "It was turning into a spectacle."
Citing the partisan atmosphere, former governor general David Johnston resigned in the spring as the special rapporteur on foreign interference, three months after being appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
In an attempt to lower the temperature, Trudeau tasked Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc to work with opposition parties.
In June, LeBlanc began meeting with party House leaders -- Andrew Scheer of the Conservatives, Peter Julian from the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois' Alain Therrien. Their goal was to set the terms of reference for a public inquiry and choose someone to lead it.
"It's not easy to get four recognized political parties (together)," LeBlanc said Tuesday during the Liberal cabinet retreat in Charlottetown.
"If you listen to the tone in the House of Commons in June, (one) might have different views on how this work should be done. The good news is we've arrived at very similar, thoughtful positions."
Since their discussions began, very little information has emerged about what a public inquiry might look like.
"That we haven't heard a lot of negativity about it is a sign that they are trying to earnestly make progress," Marland said. "But also that all the parties realize that this is actually something so serious that it's beyond being able to score partisan points over at the moment."
LeBlanc told reporters he shares their excitement "to find out where this really ends."
"I was at my cottage in the summer. I had a nice time, the weather was nice, and I was having video meetings with Scheer, Therrien and Julian. You can see why I'm anxious to get this completed."
LeBlanc said others have joined video meetings from hotels while vacationing with family.
The government is now talking to sitting judges in a bid to find someone to lead a public inquiry, he said.
"It's up to the prime minister's department to approach these people and convince them to fulfil the position," Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Wednesday.
He reiterated that his party will remain open to negotiations, as long as the process remains non-partisan.
Earlier this week, Julian of the NDP praised the process, saying it prompted the Liberal government to support the idea of an inquiry to deal with foreign interference after months of resisting.
"I am confident that we will have a public inquiry by the end of the summer," Julian said in a statement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 24, 2023.
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government鈥檚 three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party鈥檚 popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn鈥檛 be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada will cut its permanent immigration levels by at least 20 per cent
Canada will lower the number of permanent immigrants it allows into the country by at least 20 per cent from its previous target of 500,000, 愛污传媒 confirmed Wednesday.
The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.
A memorial is growing outside a Walmart in Halifax after a 19-year-old employee was found dead inside an oven in the store Saturday night.
Trudeau says Liberals 'strong and united' despite caucus dissent
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the Liberal party is 'strong and united,' despite efforts from within his caucus to oust him as leader.
'Canadians can breathe a sigh of relief': Bank of Canada governor on interest rate cut
The Bank of Canada made a sizable cut to its key lending rate Wednesday from 4.25 per cent to 3.75 per cent as the global economy continues to expand. The half percentage point cut is the fourth rate cut in a row by the central bank as inflation dropped from 2.7 per cent in June to 1.6 per cent in September.
A search has started at Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of two victims of a serial killer.
He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.
Canada's discount airline is suspending operations to and from Saskatoon.
A new report suggests that Canadians' exposure to a radioactive gas is increasing, putting millions of people at a higher risk of developing lung cancer.
Local Spotlight
He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.
A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.
Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.
A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.
A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.
A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.
Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.
Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.
The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.