Justin Trudeau says Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives are more interested in undermining Canadian democracy than protecting it

OTTAWA — The federal Conservatives are more interested in “ginning up a partisan circus” and undermining democracy for political gain than they are in actually protecting Canadian institutions, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau charged Friday. Both the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois condemned the appointment, with Poilievre accusing the prime minister of naming a “family friend, old neighbour from the cottage and member of the Beijing-funded Trudeau foundation” to the independent role. Johnston — who was appointed governor general by Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper — is listed as a member of the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation, which the Prime Minister’s Office says Trudeau has not been tied to since he became Liberal leader. He was in charge at the time of making sure that China or others weren’t influencing our elections,” Trudeau said. “It is Justin Trudeau that has put Mr. Johnston in this terrible situation by naming a member of the China-financed Trudeau Foundation to perform this role of looking into Beijing’s interference in our election campaigns,” he said.