A briefing note provided to Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly highlighted the negative tone of media reports regarding Beijing’s interference in Canadian federal elections. Many articles criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and urged the government to take concrete action. The briefing note expressed frustration with the lack of details released to the public about the alleged election interference and confusion surrounding the timeline of events. It mentioned that Trudeau denied being briefed on the issue but acknowledged raising the issue of election interference with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the G-20 Summit. Commentaries increasingly called on Trudeau to be transparent and release information about which candidates were targeted by Chinese interference. Facing pressure for a public inquiry, Trudeau appointed former governor general David Johnston to explore the need for one. Johnston initially opposed a public inquiry but later resigned, and the government is now more receptive to the idea.