CONSERVATIVE Party Leader Andrew Scheer on Wednesday slammed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for his “blatant attempt … to muzzle a respected former career diplomat.”

In a statement, Scheer said: “Today I was disturbed to read that Justin Trudeau’s political office has ordered Canada’s non-partisan public service to do his political damage control.

“According to media reports, officials from Global Affairs Canada were ordered by the Prime Minister’s Office to pressure former career diplomat David Mulroney, who is now an academic and fellow at the University of Toronto Munk School, to clear his public statements with the Trudeau government. The reason for this pressure was reportedly due to the ‘election environment’ and therefore Mr. Mulroney had to be ‘very, very careful’.

“This exchange is highly inappropriate and represents a blatant attempt by Justin Trudeau to muzzle a respected former career diplomat. Trudeau has shown a clear pattern of silencing those who speak out.

“Justin Trudeau once said he admires China’s ‘basic dictatorship’, but this is not how things are done in Canada.

“This also raises questions as to whether or not officials have been ordered by Trudeau’s PMO to speak with former Ambassador to China, and former Trudeau cabinet minister, John McCallum. Mr. McCallum has made a number of inappropriate statements over the past year – including his comments on Canada’s extradition process and his encouragement of Chinese foreign interference in the upcoming election.

“As Mr. Mulroney stated, discouraging private citizens with expertise in foreign relations from speaking freely is ‘fundamentally an undemocratic idea’. I could not agree more. Justin Trudeau must answer for the many times he has exploited Canada’s non-partisan, public service for his own political purpose.

“Justin Trudeau promised to do politics differently, but clearly, he is not as advertised.”