OTTAWA, ON - Following bombshell revelations by Global News, Conservatives will again demand that Justin Trudeau’s Chief of Staff, Katie Telford, appear before the House Procedure and House Affairs Committee (PROC) on the matter of Chinese Communist Party election interference.

On the evening of Friday, Feb. 24, 2023, Global News aired the most serious of allegations regarding Liberal MP Han Dong, election interference by the Chinese Communist Party, and what Justin Trudeau’s top aides allegedly knew in September 2019:

Transcript from Global News:

…sources say Han Dong had help from the Chinese consulate in Toronto to become the 2019 Liberal candidate in the [Don Valley North] riding.

Through a combination of CSIS documents and intelligence sources, Global News has learned that the Consulate allegedly sent two busloads of Chinese-Canadian seniors to the Don Valley North Liberal nomination meeting, and those seniors knew who to vote for because Dong’s name was written on their arm.

Sources also say CSIS suspected Chinese international students with faked addresses were bused in and “told by the PRC support their preferred candidate if they wanted to maintain their student visa status.”

…Dong won the nomination, but he still needed Justin Trudeau’s stamp of approval to carry the Liberal banner in this suburban Toronto riding – one with a sizable diaspora of Chinese Canadians

A senior intelligence official told Global News CSIS shared their concerns about Dong in late September 2019 during a classified briefing with senior Liberal Party staff who hold security clearances. In that meeting, CSIS urged them to rescind Dong’s nomination. Despite the alleged warnings to his staff, Trudeau approved Dong’s candidacy.

Source: Global National, February 24, 2023

“Each allegation in this developing story on Chinese Communist Party election interference is more shocking than the last,” said Conservative MP Michael Cooper. “Justin Trudeau’s initial reaction to reports in the Globe & Mail was to attack the whistleblowers. Then he said asking questions about election interference was itself undermining democracy and smugly shrugged off the reporting on CSIS allegations as ‘inaccurate’. But with these latest reports from the media, Justin Trudeau and his government can no longer run or hide from these allegations. They must come clean.”

“It would be beyond outrageous if the Prime Minister of our country was made aware that one of his Liberal candidates was compromised by the Chinese Communist Party and outright refused to do the right thing. It is crucial for confidence in our democracy that we know what Justin Trudeau and his government knew and when. The Prime Minister’s top aide, Chief of Staff Katie Telford, must appear before Committee to tell us what she knows.”

The Conservatives’ re-upped demand follows earlier efforts by the Liberal-NDP coalition to block Telford’s testimony. On Tuesday, February 21, 2023, the Liberals and their NDP accomplices worked in unison to obstruct Conservative calls for Justin Trudeau’s top advisor to appear before committee to testify on the matter of election interference by the Chinese Communist Party.

Liberal MP Greg Fergus introduced an amendment removing clause (c), and NDP MP Peter Julian joined with five Liberal MPs in voting to block the demand for Telford to testify.

“Given the latest damning media reports, it’s now clearer than ever why the Liberals and their NDP allies worked so hard to block the testimony of Justin Trudeau’s top advisor,” said Cooper. “Justin Trudeau’s Chief of Staff must testify before Committee this coming week. Justin Trudeau and his government cannot hide any longer. And perhaps most importantly, Ms. Telford must swear an oath that her testimony to the Committee is truthful.”

“The NDP must cease aiding and abetting this obstruction by the Trudeau Liberals. It is time for the NDP join efforts to compel transparency from Justin Trudeau’s government.”

At committee, the Conservatives will also renew their demand for the production of all government documents relevant to the matter of Chinese Communist Party election interference, as clause (m) was also removed from the final motion passed on February 21.

“All Canadians – regardless of where they or their ancestors came from – should be able to exercise their democratic rights free of foreign meddling, influence, or pressure. That’s exactly why it’s so important that we get to the bottom of what Justin Trudeau and his government knew. Not just so we can hold those responsible accountable, but ultimately so we can protect our democracy going forward,” said Cooper.