Good morning. The past two weeks have been a doozy when it comes to news about foreign interference – we stitch together the events below, along with rehabbed falcons and Shackleton’s last ship.
Today’s headlines
- Poilievre votes against capital-gains tax hike, says a Conservative government will cut taxes
- Hunter Biden found guilty on all three counts in U.S. federal gun case
- At G7 in Italy, PM Meloni’s clout may be the ticket to a Ukraine breakthrough
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Clouds close in on Parliament Hill.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
Politics
The government’s U-turn on foreign interference
Let’s back up. Not all the way up – not to February, 2020, when Ottawa fielded an intelligence brief that found “subtle but effective” Chinese interference in the 2019 election; or to July, 2021, when a top-secret CSIS review, first reported by The Globe and Mail, warned that China saw Canada as a “high-priority target”; or even to September, 2023, when Quebec appeal court judge Marie-Josée Hogue agreed to head a public inquiry into foreign interference.
Let’s back up two weeks.
On May 30, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau insisted that his cabinet had passed along more than enough documents to the inquiry. Never mind the footnote in Justice Hogue’s report that month calling out the government for redacting and withholding certain records. The Liberals were done sharing.
But yesterday, the party supported a motion in the House of Commons to turn over some pretty major information: allegations about federal politicians colluding with hostile foreign states such as China and India. So how did we get here? Rewind the tape.
Monday, June 3: In its special report on foreign interference, the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, or NSICOP – a watchdog group of MPs and senators – drops a bombshell allegation. According to its intelligence, some federal politicians are “witting or semi-witting” participants in foreign efforts to disrupt Canadian democracy. Here’s what that looks like: accepting money or perks from foreign governments, working together to mobilize community support in their favour, or handing over privileged information, knowing it would be used to put pressure on other politicians to change their votes.
Tuesday, June 4: Outcry is swift among opposition parties – the government has had this report since March – but Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc says only that authorities are working hard to protect Canadians. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says there will be an internal review.
Wednesday, June 5: Freeland clams up about that review, while The Globe confirms that the classified version of NSICOP’s report does in fact name names. When Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre presses the government to release those names, LeBlanc invites him to apply for a security clearance so he can read the report.
Thursday, June 6: More pressure on LeBlanc from Conservative MPs to identify the politicians. LeBlanc accuses them of theatrics.
Friday, June 7: A fleeting break from foreign-interference news.
Saturday, June 8: A former CSIS director weighs in, encouraging federal leaders to request classified briefings and try to suss out who is named in that watchdog report.
Sunday, June 9: The Bloc Québécois announce it’s put forward a motion to send the allegations about meddling politicians to Justice Hogue and her public inquiry. The Conservatives and NDP quickly signal their support. The government declines to comment.
Monday, June 10: But wait! Liberals say they will back the motion – and that they were already in touch with the inquiry over the weekend.
Tuesday, June 11: But wait! Green Party Leader Elizabeth May has actually read the unredacted report and says, in her view, there are no examples of current MPs wittingly colluding with foreign states – and it shouldn’t be going to the inquiry anyway. Oh well: The Bloc’s motion passes. Now we all wait to see what Hogue will do with this new information.
Read (and hear) more: The Globe’s senior parliamentary reporter, Steven Chase, dug into the watchdog report on The Decibel podcast. The Globe’s editorial board demanded that Trudeau name those who colluded against Canada. Andrew Coyne called that collusion treason instead.
The Shot
Playing through their injuries
Fly, buddy, fly!TONY KARUMBA/Getty Images
When raptors are injured by power lines or territorial fights, the crew at Kenya’s Soysambu reserve nurse them back to health. See more amazing photos (and one tenderly bandaged wing) here.
The Wrap
What else we’re following
At home: A border strike is off after workers reached a deal with the government. (But the Canada Border Services Agency did apologize to hundreds of passengers stuck in a Newfoundland airport for 12 hours.)
Abroad: A new cabinet was appointed in Haiti, where gangs have ruled in the chaos of a political crisis.
Under the sea: A Canadian-led expedition has pulled up the wreck of Ernest Shackleton’s last ship – intact! – off the coast of Labrador.
On shaky ground: Vancouver’s Museum of Anthropology reopens this week after an 18-month, $40-million upgrade to help it survive a once-in-a-millennium (or two) earthquake.