David Johnston, the special rapporteur chosen by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to look into allegations of foreign interference in Canada, is resigning his position, Global News has confirmed via a senior government source and a copy of Johnston’s resignation letter.
The former governor general has faced weeks of scrutiny over what the opposition parties called a conflict of interest due to his ties to Trudeau’s family and the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.
The House of Commons last week passed a non-binding resolution calling for Johnston to step down over the “appearance of bias.”
“When I undertook the task of Independent Special Rapporteur on Foreign Interference, my objective was to help build trust in our democratic institutions,” Johnston wrote in his resignation letter to Trudeau.
“I have concluded that, given the highly partisan atmosphere around my appointment and work, my leadership has had the opposite effect.”
Johnston said he will leave the role no later than the end of the month, but hopes to deliver a “brief” final report before that time.
The resignation marks a sudden turn from Johnston’s commitment to stay on as special rapporteur in the wake of the House motion, which was brought by the NDP. At that time, Johnston said he would only take instructions on his work and his future from the Trudeau government, not Parliament.
Trudeau has continued to stand by Johnston despite the opposition’s accusations of bias. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has led the charge, calling Johnston Trudeau’s family friend and “ski buddy” in a reference to the two families owning vacation properties in the vicinity of Mount Tremblant in Quebec when Trudeau was a child.
Poilievre said on Twitter in response to Johnston’s resignation that the prime minister “must end his coverup, stop hiding and call a full public inquiry into Beijing’s interference.”
Johnston urged the prime minister in his letter to appoint a “respected person, with national security experience” to complete his work, offering assistance to find a replacement.
“Ideally you would consult with opposition parties to identify suitable candidates to lead this effort,” he added.
Trudeau has said he consulted with opposition leaders before appointing Johnston, which those leaders have denied.
Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Trudeau has tasked him with consulting opposition leaders and experts on “next steps” and finding a replacement for Johnston, who he thanked for his decades of service.
“The partisan attacks levied by the Conservative Party against the former Governor General were unwarranted and are unacceptable,” LeBlanc said in a statement. “Democracy requires us to rise above partisan considerations.”
Opposition party leaders praised Johnston’s resignation Friday.
“David Johnston has done the right thing,” NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said on Twitter. “Now the Prime Minister must call a public inquiry, so that we can restore trust in our democracy.”
Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said his party “salutes this dignified decision” in a tweet in French.
Former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole, who revealed this month he was briefed by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service on allegations that he had been targeted by China during the 2021 election, called Johnston an “extraordinary Canadian” whose reputation was tarnished by Trudeau.
“It is so disappointing that the Prime Minister used his stellar reputation as a political shield,” he wrote on Twitter while calling for a public inquiry.
Johnston was appointed by Trudeau in March to look into how the government has handled allegations of foreign interference by China into Canada’s elections, which were first brought to light in a series of reports by Global News and the Globe and Mail that cited national security sources and classified documents.
Among the questions Johnston was tasked to answer was whether an independent public inquiry into the matter was needed to restore Canadians’ trust in its democratic institutions — a move long called for by opposition parties in response to the media reports.
But Johnston concluded in an interim report that a public inquiry should not be held because the classified information he reviewed could not be shared. Instead, he recommended a series of public hearings and that the government work to reform how information is shared across departments and agencies.
Although his report disputed some of the allegations in the media reports, it acknowledged elements of others. His report also found shortcomings that led to warnings about intelligence on foreign interference not reaching senior officials, including the prime minister, as well as about how the government combats interference attempts by hostile state actors.
The opposition has criticized Johnston’s report and his refusal to reveal the classified intelligence he reviewed that led to his conclusions. Although party leaders were invited to receive security briefings, Poilievre and Blanchet have refused to do so.
Johnston later testified to a House of Commons committee that his report was critical of the Trudeau government and its handling of intelligence — denying opposition claims the report “whitewashed” allegations that the Liberals willfully ignored attempts by China to interfere with elections and threaten members of Parliament.
In his resignation letter, Johnston reiterated his conclusion that public hearings should be held “both to educate the public and to consider necessary reforms to various aspects of the government’s systems and policies dealing with foreign interference,” rather than a public inquiry.
“A deep and comprehensive review of foreign interference, its effects, and how to prevent it, should be an urgent priority for your Government and our Parliament,” he wrote.