I stand corrected.
Chinese Military,Political and Social Superthread
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Jarnhamar
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The only thing that could cause the Liberals defeated in the polls is if Canada can guarantee Chinese Canadians protection against the CCP.
Jarnhamar
Army.ca Myth
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LILLEY: Odd donations to Trudeau's riding association raise questions
Wealthy Chinese-Canadians in BC and Ontario donating large sums of money to Trudeaus Quebec riding while seeking approval for a Chinese bank in Canada.
Wealthy Chinese-Canadians in BC and Ontario donating large sums of money to Trudeaus Quebec riding while seeking approval for a Chinese bank in Canada.
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But is it easier to "get a conviction" in a criminal court or the court of public opinion? And which is more likely to be effective at "eliminating" influence? Are the exposed networks likely to be used again?
RangerRay
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A reminder that municipal and provincial elections are not immune to foreign interference.
www.theglobeandmail.com
Opinion: We should be paying attention to foreign interference in our provincial elections
Foreign interference hasn’t been a major concern in the province’s electoral process in the past, but it should be
www.theglobeandmail.com
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Halifax Tar
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I'm without words on this anymore...
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PP is a fool if he doesn't want to clear this whole thing up now, including clearing house in the CP of any MP's that might be tainted in anyway. Burn down the whole house now and rebuild the entire thing if necessary. Sit back and have the termites munch and crunch on your house over the next 3-5yrs and then once your in power they become exposed then, no way, rip the band aid off now.
Halifax Tar
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You're absolutely right.
RangerRay
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Looks like Beijing may have been playing games in Vancouver’s municipal elections. As much as I think Kennedy Stewart was a lousy mayor, it’s still disturbing that he may have been targeted for his anti-PRC stances.
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www.theglobeandmail.com
China’s Vancouver consulate interfered in 2022 municipal election, according to CSIS
Senior Chinese diplomat sought to groom and cultivate politicians for city council and higher office
www.theglobeandmail.com
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I was wrong in my previous post as to who would be appointed.
The Minister of Public Safety was on CBC yesterday. He was asked if the Opposition Leaders were advised of the appointment of Johnson. He bounced around, obfuscated, but didn't answer. Host too stupid to ask again.
The Minister of Public Safety was on CBC yesterday. He was asked if the Opposition Leaders were advised of the appointment of Johnson. He bounced around, obfuscated, but didn't answer. Host too stupid to ask again.
Halifax Tar
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FTFY
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Another opinion - Selley on Johnston
I am now, officially, at a loss.
Is Canada an Establishment country with no role for Dissenters and Non-Conformists?
Chris Selley: David Johnston a terrible choice for 'special rapporteur' on Chinese interference
What Johnston is best at is not rocking boats. He's like a human outrigger. What are the odds of him finding something shocking?Get the latest from Chris Selley straight to your inboxSign Up
Author of the article:
Chris Selley
Published Mar 16, 2023 • Last updated 13 minutes ago • 4 minute read
189 Comments
In this file photo taken on December 04, 2015 Governor General David Johnston delivers the Speech from the Throne to start Canada's 42nd parliament in Ottawa. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tapped the former governor general to look into allegations that China meddled in Canada's two last elections. PHOTO BY GEOFF ROBINS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
Heading into Wednesday afternoon, David Johnston might have been one of Canada’s least-despised public figures. That was no small achievement, considering all the hats he has worn over the years: governor general; federal election-debates commissioner; participant in almost too many inquiries and commissions to count, at the request of Liberal and Conservative governments alike. Maybe that’s why Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his advisers thought Johnston would make a fine “special rapporteur” into allegations of Chinese meddling into Canadian elections.Team Trudeau certainly wasn’t alone on that front. Johnston’s appointment produced some very positive notices from lots of people who aren’t on the red team. “Unimpeachable choice,” declared Andrew MacDougall, formerly prime minister Stephen Harper’s communications director. Many, including the Toronto Star’s Susan Delacourt, noted in particular Johnston’s bipartisan record of being asked to help mop up messes.
I’m sorry to say they are dead wrong. Johnston is a dreadful appointment. His decision to accept the appointment was just as terrible. Trudeau and Johnston would be equally well-advised to abandon the whole undertaking.
Let’s start with the most practical problem: Much as many Conservatives respect the heck out of David Johnston, leading lights within the party have already declared that any exculpatory findings he might report with respect to Chinese interference will be treated as dead on arrival.
“As the Trudeau (government’s) appointed Debate Commissioner, David Johnston appointed WE Charity’s (Craig) Kielburger to the debate commission and allowed a host from CBC (Rosemary Barton), who sued the Conservative Party, to moderate the ‘fair’ leaders debate,” tweeted longtime Conservative strategist and campaign organizer Jenni Byrne — the presumed favourite to run Tory leader Pierre Poilievre’s election campaign when next we go to the polls, having managed Poilievre’s successful leadership bid.
Asked Byrne on Wednesday: “What are the odds (Johnston) concludes there doesn’t need to be a public inquiry?”
Plenty of folks online have roared to Johnston’s defence in the face of these and similar criticisms. I’m not even going to bother passing judgment on their fairness, because it just doesn’t matter. If a special rapporteur’s, uh, rapports are going to accomplish anything useful, they have to be accepted across partisan divides. Unless Johnston finds and rapports something truly shocking — and let’s not rule that out — those findings will not be so accepted.
And while that might not exactly be fair to Johnston, it’s hardly unfair. In politics, the impression of conflict of interest is conflict of interst.
Consider:
• Johnston is a personal friend of the Trudeau family. His Wikipedia page notes that the Johnstons became good friends with the Trudeaus during the 1970s when they had “adjacent cottages in the Laurentians.”
• Johnston is a member of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation — dodgy enough on its own, but the foundation has been directly implicated in the potential scandal on which Johnston has been asked to rapport. The foundation recently vowed to return a $200,000 donation to two wealthy businessmen after The Globe and Mail reported it had come at Beijing’s behest.
It scrambles one’s brains to imagine why Johnston would accept this appointment without at the very least resigning any affiliation with the foundation.
• What Johnston is best at is not rocking boats. He’s like a human outrigger. It’s a great skill. That’s exactly what you want in a governor general, as the Liberals belatedly discovered having replaced him with a workplace-monster astronaut. It’s also what the Liberals clearly wanted when they created the Leaders’ Debates Commission and appointed Johnston to lead it. It was blindingly obvious to all but the most credulous Canadians that the real goal of that commission was to limit debates — several very interesting ones having escaped captivity during the 2015 campaign — under the guise of official-izing them.
Johnston oversaw the replacement of the media consortium that used to run the dreary debates with an almost-identical consortium producing the exact same dreary debates, one in each official language, to the exclusion of all others (unless they’re in French). A truly pathetic performance.
No one can credibly accuse Johnston of partisanship, if you ask me. But questionable decisions on behalf of different parties aren’t much to put on a resumé. Asked by Stephen Harper to recommend terms of an inquiry into Brian Mulroney’s dealings with Karlheinz Schreiber, Johnston very unfortunately recommended excluding the terms of the all-important Airbus deal with Air Canada from the proceedings. If universal credibility was the goal, that alone ought to have been disqualifying.
I have seen some suggest there’s literally no one in the Canadian political universe that Trudeau might have appointed to the special rapporteur position whose findings would be accepted across the board. I think he could have done far better than Johnston, though. The appointment of retired judges to deal with these things long ago transcended cliché, but I suspect there are a good few anonymous-to-the-public but widely respected jurists who could have played the part better.
But if it’s true, then there was no point in Trudeau creating the position to begin with. The majority of Canadians almost certainly won’t lose any sleep over the China issue. The job Trudeau assigned himself was to appoint someone capable of reassuring the minority who do care, across the political spectrum. If we take him at his word that he tried his best, it nevertheless turned instantly to crap. That seems to be happening a lot these days, right?
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And more of the same
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Author of the article:
Carson Jerema
Published Mar 15, 2023 • Last updated 58 minutes ago • 4 minute read
Former Governor General David Johnston (L) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) after a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 18, 2013. Photo by KOTA ENDOKOTA ENDO/AFP/Getty Images
A man with personal connections to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Johnston should have never accepted the position of independent special rapporteur investigating foreign election interference, which was announced Wednesday. This being Canada, you can’t throw a rock without hitting someone attached, in some way to the Liberal party, even if only remotely or tangentially.
Trudeau has described Johnston as a “family friend” and as a friend of Trudeau’s father. Johnston is involved with the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, as a “member” who advises and helps select the board of directors. The foundation is, of course, implicated in allegations the Chinese government tried to use it to influence Justin Trudeau ahead of the 2015 election. That doesn’t mean Johnston himself is implicated, but someone with more distance from the matters being investigated would have clearly been preferable.
As head of the federal leaders debate commission, Johnston appointed WE Charity cofounder Craig Kielburger to the advisory board. A Trudeau friend appointing someone whose charity regularly paid Trudeau family members to speak at events and was granted a plum government contract in 2020, is the sort of thing that is just expected in Liberal circles, it seems.
Despite appearances, there is no indication that Johnston is anything but a man of integrity, which is why he should have stayed far away from the government’s so-called investigations into interference, lest he open himself up to attacks and allegations his appointment was motivated by partisanship.
Trudeau announced over a week ago that he would be appointing an “eminent Canadian” to investigate foreign electoral interference, in the wake of allegations that the Chinese Communist Party funnelled illegal donations to multiple Liberal candidates in the 2019 and 2021 elections. The prime minister has refused to answer questions about what he knew and when, despite mounting evidence that his government was warned by intelligence officials about Chinese interference repeatedly since at least 2017.
Instead, Trudeau is tasking committees and panels to investigate China’s influence. He has dismissed calls for a public inquiry, but decided to appoint the rapporteur to recommend whether an inquiry is needed. The position is a pointless distraction, created for the nakedly self-serving and partisan reason of delaying Trudeau having to answer questions, perhaps until Canadians have stopped paying attention.
Johnston’s connections to the prime minister should have disqualified him from being appointed, not because the former governor general is incapable of performing his duties objectively, but because reasonable Canadians will find it difficult to accept Johnston’s conclusions were not influenced in some way.
It would be hardly surprising if it was learned that it never occured to Trudeau, or to senior Liberals, that the appointment might raise questions. Apparently, this is simply how things are done.
But even without the personal connections, Johnston would still be part of the Central Canadian establishment, and holding the worldview that that implies. He would be unlikely to upset the status quo, no matter what.
During the period in which Johnston’s governor generalship overlapped with Trudeau’s government, he was entirely in tune with the Liberal approach to Beijing relations. Johnston led a mission to China in 2017 to discuss an agreement over culture and winter sports. When there, he met with President Xi Jinping, who told Johnston “You are an old friend of the Chinese people.” Johnston replied with “Mr. President, it’s wonderful to be back in China. I feel I’ve returned home,” adding “We are especially grateful to you for making time for us.”
The meeting between the two was notable at the time, as five minutes after it started, Chinese dissident and Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo died of cancer, while in custody after being convicted by the regime of “inciting subversion of state power.”
As head of the debate commission, Johnston tried to deny accreditation to Rebel News so that it could cover the 2021 election debate in person. A judge overturned the decision after Rebel News argued in court “The imposition of these standards amounts to an attempt to regulate the media industry and profession.” Regardless of what anyone thinks of Rebel News, it isn’t the role of a government body to determine which media can cover which events.
What likely matters most to Liberals is that Johnston holds all the same “correct” opinions that they do.
It is possible that the newly appointed special rapporteur will be able to competently perform his role as mandated, which is “to look into foreign interference in the last two federal general elections and make expert recommendations on how to further protect our democracy and uphold Canadians’ confidence in it.”
But, if the government really does take any “attempts at undermining our democracy very seriously,” as the statement announcing Johnston’s appointment stated, it wouldn’t be dedicating as much energy as it does to attacking anyone with legitimate concerns over election interference.
Johnston’s appointment certainly won’t change that calculation, but neither would appointing someone who’s qualifications and background were entirely above reproach. The special rapporteur position was not designed to enlighten. It was designed to confuse.
National Post
Carson Jerema: Trudeau 'family friend' David Johnston not the man to restore election confidence
There is no indication that Johnston is anything but a man of integrity, which is why he should have turned down the special rapporteur jobGet the latest from Carson Jerema straight to your inboxSign Up
Author of the article:
Carson Jerema
Published Mar 15, 2023 • Last updated 58 minutes ago • 4 minute read
Former Governor General David Johnston (L) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) after a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 18, 2013. Photo by KOTA ENDOKOTA ENDO/AFP/Getty Images
No one in this country, certainly no one deemed an “eminent Canadian,” can escape the corrupting influence that radiates outward from the Liberal party. Not even former governor general David Johnston, who is generally considered to have been the platonic ideal of the Queen’s (now King’s) representative.A man with personal connections to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Johnston should have never accepted the position of independent special rapporteur investigating foreign election interference, which was announced Wednesday. This being Canada, you can’t throw a rock without hitting someone attached, in some way to the Liberal party, even if only remotely or tangentially.
Trudeau has described Johnston as a “family friend” and as a friend of Trudeau’s father. Johnston is involved with the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, as a “member” who advises and helps select the board of directors. The foundation is, of course, implicated in allegations the Chinese government tried to use it to influence Justin Trudeau ahead of the 2015 election. That doesn’t mean Johnston himself is implicated, but someone with more distance from the matters being investigated would have clearly been preferable.
As head of the federal leaders debate commission, Johnston appointed WE Charity cofounder Craig Kielburger to the advisory board. A Trudeau friend appointing someone whose charity regularly paid Trudeau family members to speak at events and was granted a plum government contract in 2020, is the sort of thing that is just expected in Liberal circles, it seems.
Despite appearances, there is no indication that Johnston is anything but a man of integrity, which is why he should have stayed far away from the government’s so-called investigations into interference, lest he open himself up to attacks and allegations his appointment was motivated by partisanship.
Trudeau announced over a week ago that he would be appointing an “eminent Canadian” to investigate foreign electoral interference, in the wake of allegations that the Chinese Communist Party funnelled illegal donations to multiple Liberal candidates in the 2019 and 2021 elections. The prime minister has refused to answer questions about what he knew and when, despite mounting evidence that his government was warned by intelligence officials about Chinese interference repeatedly since at least 2017.
Instead, Trudeau is tasking committees and panels to investigate China’s influence. He has dismissed calls for a public inquiry, but decided to appoint the rapporteur to recommend whether an inquiry is needed. The position is a pointless distraction, created for the nakedly self-serving and partisan reason of delaying Trudeau having to answer questions, perhaps until Canadians have stopped paying attention.
Johnston’s connections to the prime minister should have disqualified him from being appointed, not because the former governor general is incapable of performing his duties objectively, but because reasonable Canadians will find it difficult to accept Johnston’s conclusions were not influenced in some way.
It would be hardly surprising if it was learned that it never occured to Trudeau, or to senior Liberals, that the appointment might raise questions. Apparently, this is simply how things are done.
But even without the personal connections, Johnston would still be part of the Central Canadian establishment, and holding the worldview that that implies. He would be unlikely to upset the status quo, no matter what.
During the period in which Johnston’s governor generalship overlapped with Trudeau’s government, he was entirely in tune with the Liberal approach to Beijing relations. Johnston led a mission to China in 2017 to discuss an agreement over culture and winter sports. When there, he met with President Xi Jinping, who told Johnston “You are an old friend of the Chinese people.” Johnston replied with “Mr. President, it’s wonderful to be back in China. I feel I’ve returned home,” adding “We are especially grateful to you for making time for us.”
The meeting between the two was notable at the time, as five minutes after it started, Chinese dissident and Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo died of cancer, while in custody after being convicted by the regime of “inciting subversion of state power.”
As head of the debate commission, Johnston tried to deny accreditation to Rebel News so that it could cover the 2021 election debate in person. A judge overturned the decision after Rebel News argued in court “The imposition of these standards amounts to an attempt to regulate the media industry and profession.” Regardless of what anyone thinks of Rebel News, it isn’t the role of a government body to determine which media can cover which events.
What likely matters most to Liberals is that Johnston holds all the same “correct” opinions that they do.
It is possible that the newly appointed special rapporteur will be able to competently perform his role as mandated, which is “to look into foreign interference in the last two federal general elections and make expert recommendations on how to further protect our democracy and uphold Canadians’ confidence in it.”
But, if the government really does take any “attempts at undermining our democracy very seriously,” as the statement announcing Johnston’s appointment stated, it wouldn’t be dedicating as much energy as it does to attacking anyone with legitimate concerns over election interference.
Johnston’s appointment certainly won’t change that calculation, but neither would appointing someone who’s qualifications and background were entirely above reproach. The special rapporteur position was not designed to enlighten. It was designed to confuse.
National Post
Same ole, same ole. Gets to be rather like a broken record. Actually, let me correct that…China has just about a perfect record for interference. But not quite. Come on, China, you can do it! There are still some ridings and levels of government left in this country that haven’t yet fully “benefitted” from your efforts. You’re not going to let a bunch of dumb Canadians stop you, are you?
(Paywall may apply)
www.theglobeandmail.com
(Paywall may apply)
China’s Vancouver consulate interfered in 2022 municipal election, according to CSIS
Senior Chinese diplomat sought to groom and cultivate politicians for city council and higher office
www.theglobeandmail.com
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Whatever the conclusions of the two parliamentary committees (if they ever conclude due to Liberal filibustering) and Johnson's report, will Trudeau read them?
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Is being in one's early 50's now too old to immigrate to Australia?Whatever the conclusions of the two parliamentary committees (if they ever conclude due to Liberal filibustering) and Johnson's report, will Trudeau read them?
QV
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QV
Army.ca Veteran
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FTFY, and the answer is no you'll fit right in.
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