(OTTAWA) Former Governor General David Johnston says he will help determine his own term as special rapporteur on foreign interference in the recent federal election.
In a statement to The Canadian Press, Mr. Johnston said he plans to work with officials to finalize his assignments for his role, before making it public.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has asked the former governor general and legal scholar to investigate allegations of foreign interference in the past two federal elections.
Mr. Johnston says he is privileged to have accepted this appointment, during which he will make recommendations to help protect and maintain trust in Canadian democracy.
Opposition parties are divided on the appointment of a special rapporteur.
Conservatives say Mr. Johnston is too close to Justin Trudeau, and Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet said Mr. Johnston has already “lost his admiration for the Chinese regime.”
While the NDP has expressed support for Johnston’s nomination, it has joined the Conservatives and Bloc in continuing to call for an immediate public inquiry into the foreign interference allegations instead.