NDP defends blocking Tory motion to fast-track foreign influence bill

Conservative MP Michael Chong says the NDP rationale to oppose his motion to fast track foreign interference legislation "doesn't make sense to him."

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party does want to see foreign interference legislation pass through the House of Commons quickly, but his party did not support a Conservative motion to speed up its passage.

On Wednesday, Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong introduced a motion to expedite passage Bill C-70, a wide-ranging bill meant to address foreign interference, by June 12. The House of Commons is scheduled to rise for its summer break on June 21.

The NDP opposed the associated unanimous consent motion seeking to speed up the process, which meant it could not be adopted by the chamber.

NDP House Leader Peter Julian said that the wording of the motion had changed from what was initially agreed to, and that is why he said “no” to unanimous consent.

On Thursday, Singh said Julian is working with his counterparts in the other parties to pass the legislation quickly but the NDP wants to hear more from experts first. Julian said Thursday he expects the legislation to pass before next election.

“We also want to make sure we have experts providing their advice on how to best improve the bill so that we are protecting people. Our goal throughout any discussion about foreign interference has always been what is in the best interests of Canadians,” Singh said.

Chong, who appeared as a witness during the Hogue commission on foreign interference after he’d been flagged by CSIS as a target of Chinese interference efforts, wrote a letter to Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc saying the Tories would work with the government to pass the bill quickly.

“Mr. Speaker, the government has often asked the official Opposition to work with them and this is an instance in which we will,” Chong said during debate Wednesday.