Liberals say foreign meddling inquiry should look into MP allegations
Written by The Canadian Press on June 10, 2024
OTTAWA — The Liberals support an effort to expand the scope of the foreign interference inquiry so it can investigate allegations against MPs, Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Monday.
He told the House of Commons that government MPs would support a Bloc Québécois motion that calls on the inquiry to dig into findings by a national security committee that some MPs “wittingly” participated in foreign meddling.
The National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians released their bombshell findings in a report last week.
LeBlanc previously said the government wouldn’t release the names of accused MPs, saying intelligence reports can contain unverified information and it’s up to the RCMP to lay charges where appropriate.
The Conservatives and NDP have both penned letters to LeBlanc saying the inquiry led by Quebec judge Marie-Josée Hogue must be asked to report on the allegations.
During question period on Monday, LeBlanc told MPs that senior officials have already begun discussions with the Hogue Commission about expanding its work.
“We’re going to support the motion precisely because we think the Hogue Commission offers us an appropriate forum whereby the allegations that surfaced (from the committee) can be examined,” he told reporters after question period.
LeBlanc said the commission has the appropriate security clearances to review the intelligence.
“If the commission wants to work with the government, we believe they do, we would obviously be very, very anxious to ensure that they have all the resources and the time necessary to do this work,” he said.
He added that the government will collaborate with the commission if it says it needs any changes to its terms of reference, including report deadlines.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2024.
The Canadian Press