Thank you, Mr. Johnston.
The Conservatives seem to claim that you suddenly betrayed your character, that you built up this character over many years that they said was credible and had high integrity, and all of a sudden you just abandoned your principles and integrity when you were appointed by PM Trudeau for this particular position, which to me is utterly absurd.
The best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour, and you've built your character over time to be an honourable person who has integrity and is credible. Many people have said that about you over many years, and yet here we are.
I ask myself, why is it that they're so intent on attacking your character? The only thing I can come up with is that they don't like the conclusions of your report. The main one that I think they're scared for anyone to report on or talk about is the main finding, where you said in your report, on page 2:
I have not found examples of Ministers, the Prime Minister or their offices knowingly ignoring intelligence, advice or recommendations on foreign interference or being driven by partisan considerations in dealing with these issues.
Yet we still often hear and see claims to the contrary, with facts often distorted, misconstrued and misrepresented. We see here, in a parliamentary setting, and outside of the parliamentary setting that sort of rhetoric, those claims that are being made without evidence and the often bad-faith mis-characterizations.
Does this kind of activity itself do damage to our democracy, in your view?