LeBlanc to meet with Han Dong about rejoining Liberal Party caucus – National
One of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s most trusted ministers said he plans to meet with Handon in the “coming weeks” to discuss the future of Donvalley North with the Liberal parliament.
Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominique Leblanc told reporters in Moncton on Wednesday that he had been “exchanging messages” with Don in recent weeks and hoped to meet in person soon.
“I am still going through the process.
Prime Minister Trudeau said in May that Mr Dong, who is currently an independent MP, resigned from the Liberal Party’s parliamentary group after Global News reported on China’s foreign interference activities in Canada. asked Mr. Leblanc to decide whether he should return to At the time, Dong said he planned to remove him to clear his name.
Mr. Dong’s future with the Liberal Party has been up in the air since March when he reported allegations that Global was profiting from covert support from the Chinese consulate general in Toronto.
Leblanc said at a press conference: “The prime minister has asked me to begin the process of considering all these issues … and if there is more to say when the time is right, I will be happy to do so. ‘ said.
Asked if he could provide a timeline for deliberations, LeBlanc said “no.”
Global News said in March, citing an unnamed national security official, Dong told Chinese diplomats in February 2021 that the release of “two Michaels” would benefit the opposition Conservative Party. It was reported that he was suspected of saying At the time, Michael Spaber and Michael Kovrig had been detained for two years on national security charges in what appeared to be retaliation for Canada’s detention of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou.
Global sources suggest Dong advised Chinese consul general Han Tao that Beijing should make some progress on the ‘Two Michaels’ scandal, which has become one of the major diplomatic issues facing the Trudeau government. bottom.
Global also said Dong was under investigation by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), which was investigating a “skillful but effective” election sabotage operation at the Chinese Consulate General in Toronto, according to sources. It was reported that
Dong denied that he was the subject of a CSIS investigation into election interference, saying, “I am not aware of the allegations made to you by the alleged source, which contain materially inaccurate information. It is,” he said.
Mr. Dong admitted that he had discussed the detention of the Michaels with Mr. Han, but denied that he opposed their release. “At every opportunity until their return, I categorically demanded that they be released to Canada without delay,” Dong told Global News. The prime minister’s office said it was unaware of these discussions until it was contacted by Global News.
“The allegations against me are as false as the allegations against you,” Don told the House of Representatives in March, referring to Kovrig and Spaber.
“As a member of parliament and as a human being, I have never, and never will, advocate or support violations of fundamental human rights of any Canadian, anywhere. .”
He is currently suing Global News over the article.
After Don left the Liberal party, Prime Minister Trudeau ordered Leblanc to review the situation to determine whether the former Ontario lawmaker would return to the Liberal Party.
It’s not clear what criteria LeBlanc will use to make that decision.
In his first report on foreign interference activities in Canada, David Johnston said there was “fraud” in the 2019 nomination of Mr. There was a well-founded suspicion that they were related.” In Toronto, he maintains a relationship with Mr. Dong. “
However, Johnston said he found no evidence that Dong “was aware of any wrongdoing or possible involvement in the appointment of the Chinese Consulate General.”
Mr Johnston concluded that Mr Don’s allegations of continued custody of the two Michaels were “false”, and Mr Don called the findings “justified”.
Johnston suggested that Don’s allegations of continued custody of the Michaels were based on a heavily revised draft memo that led to “an entirely different conclusion as to what happened.”
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
