DDavid Johnston, 81, unexpectedly announced his resignation in a letter to Trudeau, in which he accused the opposition of politicizing his appointment, which prevented him from “regaining confidence” in democratic institutions.

Johnston, who served as Canada’s governor general from 2010 to 2017 and Canada’s head of state on behalf of the British monarch, said he would tender his resignation later this month or as soon as he delivers his final report.

Opposition parties have criticized the friendly ties between Johnston and Trudeau, particularly after the special rapporteur ruled that the government did not need to create a public commission to investigate allegations of Chinese government interference in the 2019 and 2021 Canadian general elections.

The opposition wants the Canadian government to create the commission to determine the credibility of the allegations against China, which Trudeau has refused to do.

In March, Trudeau announced he would appoint a special rapporteur on foreign interference after multiple media outlets published Canadian intelligence documents alleging China was backing up to 11 candidates in the Canadian general election who were seen as pro-Beijing. .

The documents also revealed that China tried to pressure an opposition MP from the Conservative Party of Canada by threatening family members who allegedly live in Hong Kong.

The leaks embarrassed Trudeau because they also indicate that China backed the prime minister’s re-election in the 2021 election and worked to ensure Conservative candidates deemed anti-Beijing were not elected.

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