Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s chief of staff has agreed to testify before one of the committees investigating the Chinese government’s interference in Canada’s elections.
“While there are serious constraints on what can be said in public about sensitive intelligence matters, in an effort to make Parliament work [Katie] Telford has agreed to appear at the procedure and House affairs committee as part of their study,” said a Tuesday statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
The committee is resuming Tuesday morning after lengthy attempts by Liberal MPs to filibuster before a vote caling for Telford to appear.
Meanwhile, a motion will be voted on later today in the House of Commons calling for Telford to testify before another committee — the standing committee on access to information, privacy and ethics — no later than April 14 and to answer questions for three hours regarding China’s alleged efforts to interfere in Canadian elections.
Trudeau said the vote will not be a vote of confidence in his minority government, pushing off speculation of an election for the time being.
The motion, moved by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, also invites a number of a cabinet ministers and officials to testify, including Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino and Canadian Security Intelligence Service director David Vigneault.
WATCH | Telford a ‘critical witness,’ says Conservative MP:
St-Albert Edmonton Conservative MP Michael Cooper introduced a motion to force the prime minister’s Chief of Staff Katie Telford to testify at committee on election interference.