What Trudeau has said about ex-Liberal MP Han Dong and foreign interference – National | 24CA News

Han Dong’s future with the Liberal Party stays unsure after his testimony on the federal inquiry into international interference earlier this week.

Dong spent Tuesday afternoon in Ottawa fielding questions on his dealings with the Chinese consulate in Toronto, about alleged irregularities in his 2019 nomination contest and international interference usually.

Now serving as an impartial, the Don Valley West MP stepped down from the Liberal caucus after Global News, citing unnamed nationwide safety sources, reported that Dong benefited from a Chinese international interference community in his bid for the Liberal nomination in 2019.

Dong has denied the allegations and is suing Global News for defamation.

When the allegations first surfaced, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau strongly endorsed Dong, telling reporters in February 2023 that the Liberals are “extraordinarily happy” to have an MP like “Dong in our midst, serving his community.”

Trudeau’s particular rapporteur into international interference, David Johnston, confirmed that Dong had a relationship with the Chinese consul normal in Toronto, and acknowledged irregularities – resembling busloads of scholars and seniors being transported to Dong’s nomination – in how he grew to become the Liberal candidate for Don Valley West. Johnston didn’t discover proof that Dong was conscious of the irregularities.

But Johnston additionally questioned among the media reporting round Dong’s case – together with a report by Global News that intelligence sources alleged Dong suggested the Chinese diplomat towards the short launch of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. Dong denied the allegation and stated he has at all times advocated for the early launch of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.

Almost 9 months later, Dong’s standing with the occasion stays in limbo, telling the inquiry Tuesday that no choice had been made.

While Trudeau initially defended Dong – and advised he’d be welcome again to the Liberal caucus – the prime minister’s response to questions on the subject has developed over the previous 12 months.

February 27, 2023

At a press convention in Mississauga three days after Global’s first story on Dong, Trudeau gave a full-throated defence of his MP.

“We are extraordinarily happy to have a member of parliament like Han Dong in our midst, serving his community … I want to make everyone understand fully Han Dong is an outstanding member of our team, and suggestions that he is somehow not loyal to Canada should not be entertained.”

“One of the things we’ve seen unfortunately over the past years is a rise in anti-Asian racism linked to the pandemic, and concerns being arisen around people’s loyalties,” Trudeau added.

March 3, 2023

While in Winnipeg, Trudeau held a press convention and identified that members of diaspora communities are sometimes focused by international interference operations in Canada.

“We know that Chinese Canadian parliamentarians, and Chinese Canadians in general, are greater targets for interference by China than others … We know the same goes for Iranian Canadians, who are more subject to interference from the Iranian government. Russian speakers in Canada are more vulnerable to Russian misinformation and disinformation, and we get updated regularly on how we can make sure that our integrity and that the work Canadians do to serve in politics is done with full protections.”

March 8, 2023:

In the House of Commons, Trudeau responds to allegations that the Chinese consulate in Toronto might have earmarked cash for a lot of candidates they seen as pleasant to Beijing.

“The issue of foreign interference in our democracies and our institutions is extraordinarily serious … However, on the specific question, as I and the (National Security and Intelligence Advisor) both stated last fall, we have no information on any federal candidates receiving money from China, and that continues to remain the case.”

March 23, 2023

The Globe and Mail experiences that Trudeau’s workplace was not conscious that Dong spoke to a prime Chinese diplomat in Toronto in regards to the detainment of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. After being made conscious of the dialog via questions from the media, the Prime Minister’s Office obtained a CSIS transcript of the 2021 dialog, however decided there was no “actionable evidence” of wrongdoing. Dong admitted having a dialogue with a prime Chinese diplomat however denied the allegations he advocated for the delay of the discharge of Michael Korvig and Michael Spavor.

“As the Prime Minister underscored last week, whenever he is briefed on intelligence matters, he asks what can be done and what steps need to be followed. Whenever there is action to be taken, we do so,” a PMO spokesperson informed the newspaper.

March 24, 2023

Trudeau was requested if he believed a media report indicating intelligence sources alleged Dong spoke to a Chinese diplomat in Toronto in regards to the detention of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, and advisable towards their speedy launch.

“Han gave a strong speech in the House that I recommend people listen to and we fully accept that he is stepping away from the Liberal caucus in order to vigorously contest these allegations. But I do want to take a step back and point out that foreign interference, interference by authoritarian governments like China, Russia, Iran and others is a real challenge to our democracies and is absolutely unacceptable.”

May 24, 2023

David Johnston’s report on international interference was launched on May 23. It advisable towards a full public inquiry, and took difficulty with a lot of current media experiences regardless of acknowledging that international interference was a big downside. It additionally confirmed that Dong spoke to a Chinese diplomat in Toronto in regards to the detention of the “Two Michaels,” however disputed Dong advised they shouldn’t be instantly launched.

“I think on this point, the report by Mr. Johnston was fairly unequivocal that there were false allegations made against Mr. Dong and I look forward to having conversations with him. He decided to step away from caucus in order to clear his name. I will hear from him on what his thinking is going forward.”

A abstract of a CSIS report of the dialog between Dong and the Chinese diplomat – intercepted by safety businesses – was launched by the federal inquiry on April 2, 2024.

“Mr. Dong expressed the view that even if the PRC released the ‘Two Michaels’ at that moment, opposition parties would view the PRC’s action as an affirmation of the effectiveness of a hardline Canadian approach to the PRC,” the abstract learn.

Dong informed the inquiry that it was “possible” he stated that, however he didn’t recall the dialog. He reiterated that he “always” advocated for the Two Michaels’ launch and enhancements to their situations in detention.

June 28, 2023

After Johnston’s resignation amid opposition accusations of bias and private connection to the Trudeau household, Trudeau accuses opposition MPs of taking part in “games” on the international interference file.

“Opposition parties played terrible partisan and toxic games with the process that was independent and serious in its approach. We do not want to see someone of the integrity of David Johnston in the future – people we might choose to do this work – attacked by the same partisan toxicity we unfortunately saw on display over the past months.”

Sept. 7, 2023

With Johnston’s resignation nonetheless on his thoughts, Trudeau pronounces a full public inquiry into international interference after months of behind-the-scenes negotiations with the opposition events.

“A public inquiry that has been worked on by all different parties, that is agreed to by everyone so that it hopefully doesn’t descend into the kind of toxicity and disagreement we saw this spring will go a long way towards not just reassuring Canadians that we are doing everything necessary to keep them and our institutions safe, but demonstrate clearly the need of other countries to cease their interference activities.”

April 3, 2024:

Trudeau holds a press convention on housing a day after Dong testified on the federal inquiry. He’s requested immediately about Dong’s proof and the “Two Michaels” dialog. The prime minister doesn’t point out Dong by title and doesn’t reply to questions on his future within the Liberal caucus.

“The ongoing foreign interference commission is an important way of highlighting some of the challenges we face with some for the solutions that we put forward to keep our democracy safe. And I want to reinforce to everyone that our expert, non-partisan panel, looking at the 2019 and 2021 elections confirmed that those elections happened in a way where the integrity held, (and) where the outcome was decided by Canadians.”

Trudeau is scheduled to testify earlier than the fee subsequent week.

— with information from David Baxter, Sophall Duch and Global News Staff.