Trudeau Liberals remain silent on foreign agent registry amid 'broad support' from the public

The Canadian Press / Justin Tang

Despite receiving broad support for a standalone registry on foreign agents, Attorney General Arif Virani has rejected any possibility it would become reality under a Liberal government.

The Department of Public Safety in a briefing note acknowledged popular support for diplomats and other foreigners to register with the government of Canada, reported Blacklock’s Reporter.

“The feedback we received from Canadians and a diverse range of stakeholders has indicated there is broad support for a registry,” said an October 24 briefing note Foreign Influence Transparency Registry. A registry would “focus on shedding light on arrangements and activities taken in partnership with foreign governments,” it said.

But Virani contends that “a registry is not a universal solution and should be accompanied by other initiatives.” He gave no reason for his position.

Last May 17, the all-party Commons special committee on Canada-China relations recommended the introduction of a foreign registry. 

Canada will not pursue a foreign agent registry despite repeated appeals from all house parties.

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Last October 24, a Commons ethics committee report recommended the immediate introduction of a cabinet bill to unmask foreign agents. However, legislation has remained in limbo since 2022, without reason.

For nearly two years, the Liberal-held Senate has delayed Conservative Bill S-237, An Act To Establish The Foreign Influence Registry, reported Blacklock’s Reporter. 

“The creation of a foreign influence registry has been proposed many times in recent years, but no bill has been passed,” said the report Foreign Interference And The Threats To The Integrity Of Democratic Institutions.

Former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu, a victim of an alleged 'disinformation' campaign by Beijing, introduced Bill C-282 two years ago in a bid to establish the Foreign Influence Registry. 

“Sunshine is the best disinfectant,” he said. The MP failed to secure re-election in 2021 and the bill collapsed. 

Trudeau announces there will be a "new, foreign influence transparency registry in Canada." He claims it will help communities that are "both targeted by attempts at foreign interference, and who feel targeted when xenophobia and fearmongering overtake..." pic.twitter.com/yyKEWXfCHo

— Rebel News Québec (@RebelNews_QC) March 7, 2023

If Bill S-237 passed, it would name all agents acting on behalf of a “foreign government, individual or entity” under threat of $200,000 fines or two years in jail.

“Why don’t we do our job?” Senator Leo Housakos, sponsor of the bill, earlier asked the Senate. “Get the ball rolling instead of wasting another year in consultations and maybe have another election before we get anything done.”

According to the briefing note, a foreign agent registry would “focus on shedding light on arrangements and activities taken in partnership with foreign governments.” Public Safety Canada also acknowledged that foreign actors could exploit Canadian democracy when acting on behalf of foreign powers. 

According to leaked, top-secret intelligence reports, China used 'disinformation' campaigns, undeclared cash donations, and international students to volunteer for preferred Liberal candidates. Canadian intelligence has known of Chinese interference preceding the collapse of the Soviet Union. 

Chinese diplomats and their proxies worked to defeat “hostile” Conservative politicians during the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.

In addition, the RCMP continues to investigate the alleged operations of at least seven secret police stations in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

Watch Justin Trudeau attempt to answer a question on why his government hasn’t yet enacted a foreign agent registry law in Canada, unlike our allies:

Source: Bloomberg. pic.twitter.com/wGEXx6VuNz

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“To undertake malign foreign influence activities, some foreign governments, or their proxies, may leverage individuals or entities to undertake foreign influence activities intended to shape Canadian government policy, outcomes, or public opinion, without disclosing their foreign government ties,” reads the briefing note.

It “could result in policy and legislation favourable to foreign interests over Canadian ones” that “reinforces interests of adversarial states and circulates propaganda.”

Last February, then-public safety minister Marco Mendicino suggested a timeline on a registry could be on the horizon.

“I wouldn’t describe it as a hesitation; I think we need to be diligent and thoughtful and inclusive when [we] modernize the tools […] for our national security and intelligence communities,” he testified before the special committee. 

Following widespread media reports of Chinese meddling in Canada, the federal government launched public consultations last March 10 to establish the Foreign Influence Transparency Registry.

Trudeau appointed Senator Yuen Pau Woo insinuated that a foreign influence registry is "a modern form of Chinese exclusion," prompting swift pushback from his fellow Chinese Canadians.

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However, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that a foreign registry “hasn't solved everything in places it's been brought in.”

Australia and the United States have implemented foreign registries since 2018 and 1938, respectively, reported The Epoch Times. Last July, the United Kingdom enacted the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.

Liberal-appointed Senator Yuen Pau Woo claimed a registry poses a “serious harassment and stigmatization risk” for Chinese Canadians. He called it “un-Canadian.” 

However, two MPs of Chinese ancestry, Conservative Michael Chong and New Democrat Jenny Kwan, have both expressed support for a registry. Foreign agents have targeted both MPs in the past.