Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party, has stated that he declined to meet with David Johnston, the special rapporteur on foreign election interference, due to Johnston’s past involvement with the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation. Poilievre referred to Johnston’s appointment by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in March as a “fake job” and claimed that he was unable to act impartially. Johnston’s role involves offering independent advice and expert recommendations based on his investigations into reports of foreign election interference in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 federal general elections. Johnston’s first report is due on May 23rd, and he is being paid between $1,400 and $1,600 per day while holding the position. Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet has also criticized Johnston’s appointment due to his close ties to the Trudeau family. Trudeau has defended the appointment and said that his government will comply with any recommendations made by Johnston.