Special Rapporteur on Foreign Interference: Mandate, Remuneration Made Public

David Johnston will be paid $1,400 to $1,600 per day on part-time contract

Former governor general David Johnston appears before a Commons committee reviewing his nomination as elections debates commissioner, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Nov. 6, 2018. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick)

The mandate and remuneration details of the “independent special rapporteur,” appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to investigate foreign interference in Canada’s elections, has been made public.

Two order-in-council releases, published on April 5, provide details on the government’s contract with David Johnston, whose March 21 appointment the feds said was “part of a suite of measures to help protect the integrity of Canada’s democracy.”

In this role, Johnston, former governor general of Canada from 2010 to 2017, will be authorized travel and living expenses if away from home, the cost of expert staff, and any other reasonable expenses.

One order-in-council states that Johnston has been contracted on a part-time basis, with his term ending Dec. 12. He will be paid between $1,400 and $1,600 per day effective March 15.

The other order-in-council states that Johnston has been “appointed a special adviser to the Prime Minister” and is to be “known as the Independent Special Rapporteur on Foreign Interference.” Johnston is to “provide independent advice” to Trudeau and make “expert recommendations.”

It adds that the rapporteur is to provide reports, “on a rolling basis,” or as he deems necessary, up until Oct. 31, which the government will share with “the leader of every recognized party in the House of Commons and with Canadians.” Further, he “will be given access to national security intelligence resources, including classified or unclassified records, documents and personnel.”

The order states that the federal government “will respond publicly to any recommendations made in those reports within a reasonable time.”

Johnston’s mandate includes “accessing the extent and impact of foreign interference in Canada’s electoral processes” and reviewing what information the federal government had and what actions were taken in response to threats, both historically and in relation to the last two elections, in 2019 and 2021.

He is to determine what findings and recommendations to address foreign interference in those two elections were made by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), the Privy Council Office, members of the Critical Election Incident Public Protocol panel, and any other agency or official.

The mandate also instructs Johnston to identify potential innovative approaches and improvements in the way public agencies work together to combat foreign interference in federal elections, including “changes in the institutional design and coordination of government resources used to defend against or otherwise deal with that interference.”

Johnston is to review any steps taken by Trudeau and the ministers, their offices, cabinet, and federal departments and agencies to address the foreign interference. He is also mandated to raise outstanding issues of public interest and report on the level of cooperation he receives in carrying out his mandate.

His first report is due on or before May 23, with interim recommendations on “the advisability of additional mechanisms or transparent processes, including any recommendation to establish a public inquiry.”

Johnston has authorization to talk to the Privy Council Office, Trudeau’s office, CSIS, the RCMP, and any national security body, as well as members of election task forces. He is also permitted to engage with “every recognized political party” in the House of Commons and “receive written submissions from interested persons on any question.”