Foreign interference inquiry's final report now due by end of January

Foreign Interference Inquiry commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue looks on as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appears as a witness in Ottawa on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

The federal government is giving an inquiry into foreign interference an extra month to complete its work.

Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue's final report is now due by the end of January, a month later than expected.

In a statement, Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Hogue had written to the Privy Council Office to request the extension, and the government subsequently agreed.

LeBlanc said opposition parties have been notified of the extension.

The commission of inquiry's latest public hearings looked at the ability of agencies to identify and counter foreign interference.

It also held a series of policy roundtables to help develop recommendations.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 15, 2024.