Conservatives allege foreign interference by Trudeau Foundation

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg

The Conservative Party of Canada filed an ethics committee report critical of the Trudeau Foundation over alleged foreign influence on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

"Conservatives note that the Liberal government knew the Communist Party of China was interfering in Canada’s democracy for years and had they not been the beneficiary of this foreign interference the Liberals may have taken action, rather than reacting to sustained public and political pressure," according to the report. 

It also accuses the Liberal-NDP coalition government and Bloc Québécois MPs of "suppressing" Conservative concerns and recommendations in committee. Specifically on the $140,000 donation by a Chinese billionaire with direct ties to Beijing, the Conservatives claim their report left many questions unanswered. 

"It is clear, through testimony heard by the committee from current and former members of the Trudeau Foundation, that the foundation had no bylaws for foreign interference, no oversight of donations, and no due diligence done of donations," said the report. 

"Seemingly, it was the perfect conduit for a foreign dictatorship to influence Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The interference operation was proven successful as the two cutouts had direct access to the Prime Minister within five months of the donation," it reads.

WATCH: The entire board of directors for the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation jointly resigned, citing ‘outside politicization.’

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The Conservatives thus recommended an audit into the foundation to clarify concerns regarding foreign interference, as the report deemed the allegations inconclusive.

“In light of the evidence, the committee cannot take a definitive position on this case,” said the committee on the report.

“After eight years of Trudeau’s failure to take threats of foreign interference seriously, our elections have been meddled in and Canadians have been subject to harassment and intimidation at the hands of hostile foreign regimes,” Conservative ethics critic Michael Barrett told True North. 

“Justin Trudeau is not worth the cost to our sovereignty and public safety,” he added, claiming a “Common sense” Conservative government would prioritize the safety and security of Canadians with a foreign agent registry and shutting down foreign ‘police stations.’