On Parliament Hill

After weeks of calls from the Opposition, David Johnston has, finally, resigned as the Prime Minister’s special “rapporteur”.

After months of denying clear evidence of a conflict on interest, after refusing to respect the will of Parliament by denying a public inquiry, and after hiring Liberal lawyers and consultants to try and legitimize this sham process, the Prime Minister’s rapporteur has finally done the right thing and resigned.

Mr. Trudeau has been flailing around for months trying to cover up the help he received from Beijing’s communist government, and he destroyed Mr. Johnston’s reputation in the process.

The Prime Minister has three options 1) Finally call an independent public inquiry 2) call an election so Canadians have a say in whether or not they have confidence in his leadership and this process, or 3) resign, himself. He could also prorogue (shut down) parliament indefinitely in an effort shut down the various investigations, though this would only serve as further proof of his own complicity.

Last week, in an attempt to shift responsibility, the Liberal Government suggested Opposition parties should hold their own inquiry. While some work on this front has begun, such a process would require a firm commitment from the government to hand over all documents related to this matter. There are serious questions about how seriously the government would take this process and a great lack of faith in their ability and willingness to do so in good faith.

If there is to be a public inquiry, that process must be headed by a truly independent, qualified, and trustworthy individual. Not another Trudeau Foundation member or Liberal insider.

It must also happen within a tight timeframe to ensure Canadians have the answers they deserve before the next election.

Conservatives have been calling for an independent public inquiry for months. All parties in the House of Commons (with the exception of the Liberals) have voted three times for such a project to take place. This should have happened six months ago. Instead, we have a scandal-plagued Prime Minister desperately clinging to power.

Conservatives will work with our opposition colleagues to make sure any person appointed to lead such an inquiry is independent, unbiased, has no ties to the Trudeau Family, not a member of the Beijing-funded Trudeau Foundation and not associated with any foreign government.

Unlike the Liberals, who continue their desperate attempts to protect this tainted Prime Minister and cover up for Beijing, Conservatives will continue to fight for the truth and stand up for and protect the interests of Canadians.