2022 CPC Leadership Discussion: Et tu Redeux

[Fishbone Jones]

I would hope so, but it would be nice if he walked in the door ready to go, and if for the next year and a bit the opposition could contribute maturely to the discourse from a position of being adequately informed, or at least guided by someone who is. It’s a hell of a big subject to play catch up on.

It was one instance. He saw trudeau's trap and said no. As things get closer, I expect he'll weigh the options and reasons for the invites and act accordingly.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Regardless how well the specific instance fits, the use of classified briefings to muzzle political opponents isn't new and certainly not unknown. As soon as a page is included in a document dump, the material on it is covered. "Oh, that wasn't supposed to be there. Nevertheless, we must assume you reasonably know about it now."

 

[brihard]

Regardless how well the specific instance fits, the use of classified briefings to muzzle political opponents isn't new and certainly not unknown. As soon as a page is included in a document dump, the material on it is covered. "Oh, that wasn't supposed to be there. Nevertheless, we must assume you reasonably know about it now."

Classified briefings don’t muzzle; they merely cause you to need to do the work to speak within the limits or what’s classified and what’s not in appropriate fora. Thousands of Canadians working in national security and defense do this every day. Information is regularly sanitized, downgraded, or tear-lined to fit necessary and appropriate dissemination and need to know.

What classified briefings do is make it harder to spout off and claim that you didn’t know better- but even that is only to an extent, because the other side also cannot readily divulge or confirm classified information to falsify your statements for partisan points.

The protections around classified information are pretty robust, but they don’t impair someone from acting or speaking truthfully and in good faith so long as they don’t divulge safeguarded or special operational information contrary to the law.

If the best defense to this is “my guy doesn’t get to sling mud as easily”, I’m simply not convinced.

Again, I expect all senior political leadership to avail themselves of the ability to know accurate information pertaining to national security, within the scope of their particular portfolio, clearance, and need to know. I trust our senior security and intelligence officials when they determine that a given issue is weighty enough to offer the briefings more broadly than would be the norm.

 

[Brad Sallows]

If the best defense to this is “my guy doesn’t get to sling mud as easily”, I’m simply not convinced.

That might be all that it is (ie. your case is strong).

Example: Adam Schiff (the US House member) was notorious for leaks, mostly untruthful ones, which is why briefings were switched from oral to written (to be able to deny creative interpretations). Obviously declining the information give politicians room to be creative.

 

[Good2Golf]

I still struggle to take seriously a contender for PM of Canada who is unwilling to receive classified briefings or to review classified reports intended to properly inform senior decision makers on risks from foreign interference or other significant threats to our national security.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d prefer as well they he get fully briefed in, and then critique the government where he can quite reasonably address things to the degree that he can publicly; not by some method of broken telephone from one of his caucus trying to inform him using some kind of veiled speech.

What classified briefings do is make it harder to spout off and claim that you didn’t know better- but even that is only to an extent, because the other side also cannot readily divulge or confirm classified information to falsify your statements for partisan points.

Absolutely.

 

[Halifax Tar]

I am hopeful for PP, but I also wouldn't want to be the PM who comes in after JT and the LPC.

That's going to be one hell of a mess to clean up. And no one if going to like the chores that are needed.