Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino made the remarks about viewing spies through a careful cultural lens while testifying at the House of Commons Special Committee on Canada-China Relations.

China extends its Orwellian presence in Canada with seemingly no worry from the Trudeau govt, which will only embolden Chinese agents. That is why, now more than ever, it is necessary to establish a foreign influence registry in Canada, as my bill #S237 calls for. #SenQP WATCH: pic.twitter.com/Qlu8pVzkSe

— Senator Leo Housakos (@SenatorHousakos) September 28, 2022

Any attempts to unmask #China spies must be "culturally sensitive," @MarcoMendicino tells MPs. https://t.co/rFQkGNkZjY #cdnpoli @SenatorHousakos #S237 #China @Safety_Canada @JeanYip3 @pfragiskatos pic.twitter.com/PIeUF42Rva

— Blacklock's Reporter (@mindingottawa) February 7, 2023

A Conservative private members' bill, Bill S-237 An Act To Establish The Foreign Influence Registry, a Senate-originated bill, has languished in the upper chamber since February 2022.

My bill S237 calling for a foreign agent registry has been blocked in the Senate since November 2021. More than a year Trudeau’s Senators have sat on it, not even allowing it to proceed to committee for study. Why is that @marcomendicino? https://t.co/vjTbzoT1ar

— Senator Leo Housakos (@SenatorHousakos) February 7, 2023

The law would force the lobbyists and officials for a "foreign government, an individual or entity related to a foreign government," to disclose their relationship with the foreign actor or face $200k in fines and up to two years in jail.

Chinese espionage at Canada's largest power utility is yet another incident of interference by Beijing in Canada's democracy, and is yet another example of why a foreign influence registry as called for in my Bill #S237 is so necessary. pic.twitter.com/nDMw7MvtdV

— Senator Leo Housakos (@SenatorHousakos) November 17, 2022

According to Blacklock's, Canada is a laggard in identifying foreign lobbyists and spies:

Australia, in 2018, enacted a Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act to track foreign agents. The United States 85 years ago passed its own Foreign Agents Registration Act.

Whether it be a failure to take real action to fight foreign interference & intimidation, or to do our part to help those fleeing during the fall of Kabul, the Trudeau government continues to let down our allies and our own intelligence agencies. #AEFA #S237 WATCH: pic.twitter.com/5XgIH86XFc

— Senator Leo Housakos (@SenatorHousakos) October 12, 2022