Bloc Québécois to Table Bill on Foreign Agent Registry, Citing Liberal Inaction

Bloc Quebecois MP René Villemure rises in the House of Commons in Ottawa on Nov. 29, 2021. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld

Bloc Québécois MP René Villemure says he will table a foreign agent registry bill in the coming days because the Liberal government has not made it a priority.

“An initiative like this, it takes time. But while we’re talking about it, it continues,” Mr. Villemure wrote on X about foreign interference. “We’re determined to get to the bottom of this.”

The MP, speaking to La Presse, said his bill will ask both foreign agents and the Canadian party connected to the agent to register. Mr. Villemure said this will make it easier to trace foreign-led activities.

“In our bill, the two parties must declare meetings,” he said, noting this goes beyond a simple mention in a register. “It’s different from what’s being done elsewhere. It’s going to allow a better tracking of what is happening in Canada in this regard.”

A separate Conservative bill to establish a foreign influence registry (S-237) was tabled in the Senate in February 2022, but does not have the support of the government.

The Bloc’s private member’s bill will be tabled shortly after the House of Commons ethics committee, of which Mr. Villemure is a member, filed its report on foreign interference on Oct. 24.

One of the 22 recommendations of the report is that the government establish a foreign influence registry “as soon as possible.”

The committee heard testimony from various witnesses who recommended the establishment of a registry, but some argued it would not stop clandestine activity.

“The Committee recognizes that a foreign influence registry cannot be established with the view that it will solve all interference problems,” wrote the committee. “It does believe, however, that a registry is a sound protective measure that would ensure greater transparency with regard to foreign actors operating in Canada.”

The Liberal government announced last March it would establish a foreign influence registry in response to the mounting pressure from multiple national security leaks in the media that depicted widespread interference from the Chinese regime.

Consultations took place in the spring, but nothing else around the bill has been announced. Government House Leader Karina Gould did not mention its tabling was a priority when she discussed the fall session agenda.

“We’re continuing to work on that, it’s an important issue,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Oct. 24 when asked about the foreign registry.

Defence Minister Bill Blair, who held the Public Safety portfolio during the 2021 election, was also asked about the matter while testifying at the Procedure and House Affairs committee on Oct. 24.

“I think we all believe in and agree that a foreign registry would help protect Canada’s interests, but it’s also important that we do it in a thoughtful way,” he said.

“I’m also aware that this is something that the public inquiry that has now been called will also look at and I expect that there will be recommendations.”

The public inquiry into foreign interference was launched on Sept. 18 and has to deliver an interim report in February.