OrilliaMatters welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected]. Please include your daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following letter is in response to a letter regarding a report on foreign interference, published May 26.
Full disclosure: I am a former federal member of Parliament and cabinet minister who represented the Progressive Conservative party for Simcoe North and a Conservative supporter.
John Winchester is a Liberal party supporter, federally and provincially.
Mr. Winchester’s letter suggests, “It should be clear to all Canadians that information regarding our national security cannot be shared publicly.” He goes on to suggest that “if Pierre Poilievre does not understand that, he certainly does not deserve the job to which he is aspiring.”
I suggest to Mr. Winchester that Pierre Poilievre understands fully well that such information cannot be shared publicly and that is why he is refusing access to the information. He knows that if he accepts access to the information, he can’t use it.
Why should he? CSIS members are obviously unsettled at the way this Liberal government is handling CSIS intelligence and that is why the information is being leaked to the media. In my experience, this is unprecedented and should concern both the current government and Mr. Winchester.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government took advantage of David Johnston’s loyalty and service to Canada when they asked him to serve as a special rapporteur. Plain and simple, Pierre Poilievre won’t be taken advantage of.
Doug Lewis
Orillia
