Trudeau to be star witness in election meddling probe

The Canadian prime minister could be the star witness in his government's investigation of alleged national election meddling by China, Russia and other countries.

Justin Trudeau was asked by reporters in Singapore Friday on the possibility of him testifying in the case, he replied, "Willingly and with very much enthusiasm."

The prime minister, who was coming from the ASEAN Summit in Indonesia, added, "I think it's important for Canadians to know exactly everything this government has been doing in regards to foreign interference, and to talk frankly about the challenges that we continue to face in our democracies around the world."

His statement came a day after Ottawa named an appeals court judge to lead the inquiry into the allegations surrounding federal elections in 2019 and 2021.

Quebec Court of Appeal Justice Marie-Josee Hogue replaces the investigator who resigned in June.

Trudeau faced pressure to explain how it first responded to the claims that Beijing sought to subvert Canada's democratic process.

Relations between Ottawa and Beijing hit a new low this year amid accusations of Chinese meddling in those elections and the attempted intimidation of Canadian lawmakers that led to the expulsion of a Chinese diplomat in May.

Beijing has called the accusations "groundless" and responded by sending home a Canadian diplomat from the country's consulate in Shanghai.

The reported accusations included secret campaign donations and that Chinese operatives were working for Canadian candidates and lawmakers in an attempt to influence policy.

WITH AFP