Okay. Thanks.
I move:
That, in relation to its studies of foreign election interference, pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(a), and of the intimidation campaign orchestrated by Wei Zhao against the Member for Wellington-Halton Hills and other Members, pursuant to its order of reference of Wednesday, May 10, 2023, the Committee
(a) direct that a summons be issued to the Special Rapporteur, David Johnston, to appear before the Committee, by himself, for three hours, no later than seven days following the adoption of this motion; and
(b) report to the House forthwith that it re-affirms its support for a national public inquiry, expressed in its Twenty-fifth Report, which was concurred in by the House on Thursday, March 23, 2023, and calls upon the government to begin consultations, among the recognized parties, on the appointment of that inquiry within 24 hours with a view to launching it within two weeks.
Madam Chair, over the last several months, we've seen mounting evidence, reporting in media and reports from Canada's spy agency that there has been escalating foreign interference in our democratic process by the dictatorship in Beijing.
The House of Commons voted by majority for a public inquiry to be held into this matter. Instead the Prime Minister tapped his friend, a member of the Trudeau Foundation, essentially to run interference against this direction of Parliament and the call from a majority of Canadians to have a public inquiry. There is clear evidence that Beijing has undertaken and continues to interfere in our elections.
We know that Beijing used the Trudeau Foundation as a vehicle to target Canada's Prime Minister in its campaign of foreign influence.
All of the opposition parties have agreed that we need to hear from Mr. Johnston, and it's essential that we do hear from him as to why, following Parliament's direction to the government that a public inquiry be held, he has advised against it. We want to take a closer look at his conclusions, a look under the hood, and that's why we've put this motion forward today.
Thank you, Madam Chair.