Public Safety Canada (PSC) acknowledged there was popular support for mandatory registration of foreign agents in the country, according to 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 PSC in a briefing note. If the Canadian government adopted a registry, PSC said it would “focus on shedding light on arrangements and activities taken in partnership with foreign governments.”The House of Commons Ethics Committee (CEC) recommended in an October report immediate introduction of a cabinet bill to unmask foreign agents. “The creation of a foreign influence registry has been proposed many times in recent years, but no bill has been passed,” said the CEC. A bill mandating a foreign registry has been before the Senate since 2022. Bill S-237 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. At the moment, PSC said foreign agents’ activities could result in policy and legislation favourable to foreign interests over Canadian ones and mislead media and the public. It added unclear labelling of state communications “can produce public or media messaging that reinforces interests of adversarial states and circulates propaganda or disinformation that could either misdirect citizens or pollute the general media and information environment.”“Such a registry would increase transparency over foreign influence in Canada and foster societal resilience by encouraging individuals to undertake due diligence when entering into a relationship with or conducting activities on behalf of foreign organizations,” it said. Attorney General Arif Virani turned down the idea of creating an independent registry for foreign agents in November, despite numerous requests from MPs representing all political parties. READ MORE: Trudeau’s Attorney General rejected proposal for foreign agent registryVirani did not disclose who opposed the public disclosure of lobbyists China and other foreign states fund.“We are consulting,” said Virani. The United States has enforced the Foreign Agents Registration Act since 1938. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom enacted the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme in July. Independent Senators Group Sen. Yuen Pau Woo (British Columbia) — the only parliamentarian to lobby against a registry — said it is unCanadian and attempts to stigmatize China. “Ignorance, ideological zeal, fear, groupthink and political cowardice has created the very conditions under which a foreign influence registry is most dangerous and why we need to warn against it,” said Woo. Woo appealed to Canadians nationwide to sign a parliamentary petition opposing any registry. Two thousand four hundred fifty Canadians signed it.
Public Safety Canada (PSC) acknowledged there was popular support for mandatory registration of foreign agents in the country, according to 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 PSC in a briefing note. If the Canadian government adopted a registry, PSC said it would “focus on shedding light on arrangements and activities taken in partnership with foreign governments.”The House of Commons Ethics Committee (CEC) recommended in an October report immediate introduction of a cabinet bill to unmask foreign agents. “The creation of a foreign influence registry has been proposed many times in recent years, but no bill has been passed,” said the CEC. A bill mandating a foreign registry has been before the Senate since 2022. Bill S-237 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. At the moment, PSC said foreign agents’ activities could result in policy and legislation favourable to foreign interests over Canadian ones and mislead media and the public. It added unclear labelling of state communications “can produce public or media messaging that reinforces interests of adversarial states and circulates propaganda or disinformation that could either misdirect citizens or pollute the general media and information environment.”“Such a registry would increase transparency over foreign influence in Canada and foster societal resilience by encouraging individuals to undertake due diligence when entering into a relationship with or conducting activities on behalf of foreign organizations,” it said. Attorney General Arif Virani turned down the idea of creating an independent registry for foreign agents in November, despite numerous requests from MPs representing all political parties. READ MORE: Trudeau’s Attorney General rejected proposal for foreign agent registryVirani did not disclose who opposed the public disclosure of lobbyists China and other foreign states fund.“We are consulting,” said Virani. The United States has enforced the Foreign Agents Registration Act since 1938. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom enacted the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme in July. Independent Senators Group Sen. Yuen Pau Woo (British Columbia) — the only parliamentarian to lobby against a registry — said it is unCanadian and attempts to stigmatize China. “Ignorance, ideological zeal, fear, groupthink and political cowardice has created the very conditions under which a foreign influence registry is most dangerous and why we need to warn against it,” said Woo. Woo appealed to Canadians nationwide to sign a parliamentary petition opposing any registry. Two thousand four hundred fifty Canadians signed it.
