Trudeau names former GG David Johnston as special rapporteur on foreign interference

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Johnston was recommended for the post of governor general by former Conservative PM Stephen Harper, and served in that role from 2010 to 2017

Published Mar 15, 2023  •  Last updated 14 hours ago  •  2 minute read

Then-Governor General David Johnston on the grounds of Rideau Hall in 2017. Photo by Ashley Fraser/Postmedia/File Article content

OTTAWA – Former governor general David Johnston will act as the special rapporteur to look into foreign interference in Canadian elections.

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Johnston, served as governor general from 2010 to 2017. He was recommended for the post of governor general by former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper and appointed by Queen Elizabeth. Johnston also drafted the terms of reference for the Oliphant Commission, which looked into the Airbus affair involving former prime minister Brian Mulroney.

Prior to that, Johnston was a law professor and university administrator, ending his career as president of the University of Waterloo.

Trudeau said he was the ideal person to lead an impartial review into the allegations.

“As Independent Special Rapporteur, David Johnston brings integrity and a wealth of experience and skills, and I am confident that he will conduct an impartial review to ensure all necessary steps are being taken to keep our democracy safe and uphold and strengthen confidence in it,” the prime minister said in a news release.

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Since 2017, Johnston has been commissioner of the Leader’s debate, a role he is going to step down from the government announced. He is also a member of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation. There are 30 members of the foundation and they select board members and perform other oversight functions. The foundation’s primary focus is handing out scholarships in the humanities and social sciences.

Trudeau announced he would be appointing a special rapporteur last week to look into allegations of foreign interference.

Multiple media reports suggest there was a widespread effort to influence about a dozen ridings during the 2019 and 2021 campaign with the Chinese government using misinformation to help defeat Conservative candidates.

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The government in Beijing wanted to see the Conservatives defeated, but wanted the Liberals returned as a minority.

Trudeau has resisted calls from opposition leaders and many outside experts and groups to call a public inquiry into the foreign interference allegations. Johnston will have the option of calling for a judicial review or a full public inquiry if he so chooses and Trudeau has said the government will abide by any recommendation he makes.

In addition to Johnston’s work, Trudeau has also asked for separate reviews by a special committee of MPs and Senators that focuses on intelligence and a separate oversight agency.

Twitter: RyanTumilty

Email: rtumilty@postmedia.com

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify unclear wording in an earlier version that could have been interpreted to suggest that former prime minister Stephen Harper had been involved in the recommendation of Johnston as special rapporteur. That is not the case.

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