Two years after Canada signed on to the World Economic Forum-initiated Agile Nations Charter, Conservative MP Leslyn Lewis is blowing the whistle on the "secrecy" surrounding the program.."The Liberals chose to enter into a World Economic Forum (WEF) initiated Charter without parliamentary input," Lewis (Haldimand—Norfolk, ON) said.."The unelected WEF is not our government. Canadians didn’t sign up for the WEF’s plan to create agile rule making in a post-pandemic world and the 4th Industrial Revolution.".The former Conservative leadership candidate said the Canadian government signed the Agile Nations Charter in November 2020, back when Canadians were "distracted" by the COVID-19 pandemic and the violation of their Charter rights' due to public health restrictions. .Lewis has been outspoken when it comes to globalist policies that would impact Canadians' Charter rights, such as the ArriveCAN app, the World Health Organization's Pandemic Treaty, the WEF's Known Traveller Digital Identity project, and Environmental Social Governance policies. She said many Canadians have concerns with the values, objectives, and influence organizations like the WEF have over their lives, and are "cautious about handing over any personal information or control to them.".READ MORE: 'They are planning to transform everything' Lewis warns of incoming Environmental Social Governance.Lewis gained access to the details surrounding Canada's participation in the Agile Nations network following an Inquiry of Ministry to the House of Commons on Oct. 21, 2022. "Why the secrecy?" she asked in a Wednesday tweet that linked to the document..Canada was among the seven countries invited to the ‘Panel on Agile Governance for the Post-pandemic World’ in November 2020, convened jointly by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Canada, Denmark, Italy, Japan, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, as well as senior representatives from several private sector companies, came together for discussions on "agile regulation of emerging technologies.".The stated goal of the Agile Nations Charter is to "create a regulatory environment in which innovation can thrive" by making it easier for businesses within their jurisdictions to introduce and scale innovations across their markets while upholding protections for citizens and the environment. The participation length in the Charter is not defined for any member, and participation in specific projects as well as the network itself is on a voluntary basis..Lewis said this is part of a trend of the Canadian government "proactively engaging with international organizations governed by unelected global elites on matters of public policy, technology and data sharing," similar to the WEF's Known Traveller Digital Identity project. .READ MORE: Lewis would challenge WEF climate policies, end Known Traveler Digital ID program if elected prime minister .Canada will leads or participate in seven items under the first Agile Nations work programme, such as 'Coordinating National Standards Bodies of the Agile Nations,' 'Pre-load Air Cargo Targeting,' and 'Consumer Connected Products.'.Lewis said she is most concerned with 'Digital Credentials and Digital Trust Services” project, being led by Canada. The project involves exploring and testing the use case of digital credentials, which are tied to users' digital wallets and are used to obtain services and complete financial transactions..Lewis said the Canadian government is bringing about a "radical public policy shift" towards a Digital Identity Program, which will allow for more centralized government access to Canadians' private data. She said these projects are a part of a "wider government objective," one that aligns with the WEF's priorities.."Canadians have a right to know what their government is doing, to ask questions, and to demand transparency on policies that have immense impact on the direction of this country," she said..President of the Treasury Board Mona Fortier (Ottawa—Vanier, ON) disagreed with Lewis' assertion that the federal government will have more centralized access to Canadians' private data through the Digital Identity Program. It instead argued that it will allow Canadians to access services more "conveniently and privately."."Digital credentials are being designed for cyber security and privacy protection from the ground up. That includes working closely with the Privacy Commissioner," a spokesperson from Fortier's office said.."With digital credentials, the information you agree to share would only be used to deliver that service and will not be shared with other departments or programs, except for specifically identified purposes listed in the Privacy Act. Using digital credentials is completely voluntary.".Fortier's office added that Canada retains control of its own policies under the forum’s non-binding Charter, and the World Economic Forum participates as an observer and not a decision-maker..Lewis said that because the mainstream media has mocked Canadians for asking questions, there is a "chill" on the debate around the WEF. Other political parties are susceptible to this to, according to Lewis.."However, the anxieties and concerns of Canadians about these organizations and their influence on our domestic affairs are not going away until we see more transparency and honesty from the Trudeau government," she said. "We need to see these issues come to the floor of Parliament for debate, and the voice of Canadians need to be heard and respected."
