Reports of Chinese interference in elections cost Trudeau popularity among voters | World News - Hindustan Times
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Reports of Chinese interference in elections cost Trudeau popularity among voters

Mar 17, 2023 05:20 PM IST

According to a new survey released by the non-profit public polling agency Angus Reid Institute, released on Thursday, just 37% of respondents approve of Trudeau’s performance as PM.

As a flood of reports about alleged Chinese interference in Canadian Federal elections dominates the political narrative in the country, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s popularity with voters has taken a beating, dropping six points in three months.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attends the NAFTA Advisory Council Meeting in Toronto, Thursday, March 16, 2023. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP) (AP)
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attends the NAFTA Advisory Council Meeting in Toronto, Thursday, March 16, 2023. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP) (AP)

According to a new survey released by the non-profit public polling agency Angus Reid Institute or ARI, released on Thursday, just 37% of respondents approve of Trudeau’s performance as PM, as against 57% that disapprove. Both numbers have headed in the wrong direction for him: His favourability level was at 43% in the last quarter of 2022, and unfavourability at 54%.

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That is also translating into the ruling Liberal Party trailing the principal opposition Conservatives by a six per cent in voting intention preference: 29% versus 35%. A year back, in March 2022, both parties were tied at 35% each. Stubbornly high inflation also figures high on the concerns of Canadians. “Another issue for Trudeau and the Liberals in the party’s third term in power is the fatigue factor,” ARI noted.

“Weeks of questions over potential foreign interference in Canadian elections – and the federal government’s handling of the issue – have taken their toll on the approval of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,” the pollsters noted. However, the opposition may have been unable to take full advantage of the negativity surrounding the Liberals, as “perception problems” for the Conservatives in key battlegrounds, the province of Quebec and major urban centres, “leave the questions as yet unanswered” over whether it “can capitalize on its lead in vote intention.”

Trudeau has attempted to address the China factor by appointing an Independent Special Rapporteur to examine alleged electoral interference. That announcement that for former Governor General David Johnston would take on the responsibility was made on Wednesday. However, the opposition is still demanding a public inquiry.

In a statement, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre accused Trudeau of appointing a “family friend” to the position. He also alluded to Johnston being a member of the Pierre Eliot Trudeau Foundation, which was established to carry on the legacy of the former Prime Minister, father of the current incumbent. ““Get real. Trudeau must end his cover up. Call a public inquiry,” Poilievre said.

Similarly, Yves-François Blanchet, leader of the opposition Bloc Quebecois, said, “If you want to make the public to feel safe about the choice you have made, you should not pick someone who is notably a friend of the family,” according to the outlet Globe and Mail.

However, Liberals like Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino have defended the appointment pointing out Johnston was named to the position by then Conservative PM Stephen Harper.

The Trudeau Foundation issue has been raised by commentators after earlier this month the Government released a report authored by retired bureaucrat Morris Rosenberg that said, “National security agencies saw attempts at foreign interference, but not enough to have met the threshold of impacting electoral integrity.”

However, that report was dismissed by the opposition as Rosenberg was CEO of the Trudeau Foundation between 2014 and 2018 and during that period, it received a large donation from a Chinese businessman. The Globe and Mail, reported that Canada’s spy agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service or CSIS, had recorded a conversation between an unnamed Chinese diplomat and the billionaire Zhang Bin, with the official instructing the latter to donate a substantial amount to the Foundation as the Liberals were favourably placed in the 2015 Federal polls. Trudeau became Prime Minister in 2015 when his party came to power with a majority. The Foundation announced soon afterwards that it was returning the amount received so far, CA$ 140,000.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Anirudh Bhattacharya is a Toronto-based commentator on North American issues, and an author. He has also worked as a journalist in New Delhi and New York spanning print, television and digital media. He tweets as @anirudhb.

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