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OTTAWA, June 10 (AP) – A Canadian government appointee investigating allegations of Chinese interference in Canada announced Friday that he will resign, citing the highly partisan atmosphere of his work.
Former governor-general David Johnston has said in a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that his leadership of the government’s investigation into alleged Chinese interference has not helped build trust in democratic institutions because of partisanship.
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Johnston said he would release a brief final report, but his appointment was controversial, with opposition Conservative leader Pierre Poirier accusing him of being too close to Trudeau’s family.
All opposition parties in the House of Commons have called for the government to open a public inquiry into allegations of foreign interference, but a recent report by Johnston has advised against it.
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Johnston said he encouraged Trudeau to appoint a “respected individual with national security experience” to complete the investigation and to consult with the opposition on who should be appointed.
Johnston was appointed governor-general in 2010 by then-Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper, and Trudeau’s term was extended until 2017. The Governor-General is the head of state representing the British monarchy and is a primarily ceremonial and symbolic position.
Johnston is also a former member of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.
Trudeau has said he has confidence in Johnston’s handling of the investigation and played down the importance of any family ties.
Earlier this year, Canada expelled a Chinese diplomat whom Canada’s spy agency accused of taking part in a plot to intimidate opposition Conservative MPs and their relatives in Hong Kong.
The lawmaker has criticized Beijing’s human rights record. In retaliation, China expelled a Canadian diplomat this month.
China often uses threats against family members to intimidate critics in the Chinese diaspora.
Relations between China and Canada took a turn for the worse after China detained former diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor. The move comes shortly after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of telecommunications giant Huawei and daughter of the company’s founder, at the request of U.S. authorities.
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the body of content may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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