The deadlock between Canada's governing Liberals and the Conservatives regarding the establishment of a probe into foreign interference in the country's elections and governance seems to have been broken with a recent agreement.

In June, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc was assigned the task of collaborating with other political parties to find a way forward, following the resignation of foreign interference special rapporteur David Johnston.

In March, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Johnston to investigate allegations, primarily from unidentified security sources, suggesting that China had sought to influence the outcomes of the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.

After conducting an initial investigation, Johnston recommended against a public inquiry, citing the substantial amount of classified evidence that could not be publicly disclosed. However, this decision sparked outrage among opposition parties, who had been demanding an inquiry for several months.

The Conservatives levelled accusations of bias against David Johnston, claiming he favoured Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Johnston denied any bias but eventually resigned, citing a "highly partisan" environment surrounding his investigation.

Although Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc wasn't specifically tasked with negotiating the terms of an inquiry, it was widely known that this was the only acceptable path for the other parties involved.

The Liberals insisted that all parties reach an agreement on the terms of reference and the appointment of a commissioner before announcing an inquiry. On the other hand, the Conservatives were firm in their demand for an inquiry announcement before committing to any specific terms.

The Liberals sought to avoid the intense criticism they faced when appointing Johnston by securing the support of their opponents from the outset.

By June, during the final week of the parliamentary session, the Bloc Quebecois and the NDP expressed optimism that negotiations were nearing a conclusion.

Prime Minister Trudeau, on Wednesday, that the Liberals, NDP, and Bloc Quebecois had reached an agreement, accusing the Conservatives of obstructing the consensus. However, Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer strongly refuted this, calling it "unequivocally false."

Scheer stated that his party had been working in good faith and collaboratively, with an agreement within reach. He argued that it was the Liberals who consistently pushed back on their proposals and failed to respond to emails and phone calls from the Conservatives seeking further discussions.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre accused Trudeau of "lying." Poilievre mentioned that his party had been waiting for Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who was appointed by Trudeau to lead the discussions, to respond to a proposed framework for nearly a week.

Following the public dispute, LeBlanc's office scheduled a meeting with the other party House leaders, which took place on Friday evening. After the meeting, Conservative Party spokesperson Sebastian Skamski confirmed that an agreement had been reached on the terms of reference for a public inquiry.

Furthermore, all parties have now put forward their preferred candidates to lead the inquiry. Only the Bloc has publicly disclosed their names, which include former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour, former Liberal justice minister and human rights expert Irwin Cotler, former ambassador to China Guy Saint-Jacques, and Louise Otis, a former justice of the Quebec Court of Appeal and current president of the administrative tribunal of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

LeBlanc's spokesperson did not confirm the details of the agreement or the Conservatives' claim that an agreement had been reached on the terms of reference. However, communications director Kelly Ouimet stated that the meeting was "very productive," and work would continue in the following week.

There were differences of opinion among the parties regarding the scope of the inquiry, including how far back it should investigate and whether it should solely focus on recent allegations against the Chinese government or include evidence of attempted interference by other foreign governments in Canada's political system.

Nonetheless, the Conservatives and Bloc MPs supported an NDP motion in late May, calling for an inquiry that would examine attempted interference not only by China but also by Russia, Iran, and India. The Liberals voted against this motion, which was introduced nine days before Johnston stepped aside.