‘Broad Support’ for Foreign Agent Registry, Public Safety Canada Says

Chinese soldiers stand guard near Tiananmen Square in Beijing on March 5, 2021. Nicolas Asfouri/AFP via Getty Images

The proposal to mandate registration for foreign agents has gained widespread support among Canadians, as disclosed in a recent briefing note by Public Safety Canada.

“So far, the feedback we received from Canadians and a diverse range of stakeholders has indicated that there is broad support for a Registry,” the federal department said in a briefing note dated Oct. 24, 2023. The briefing note was obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter and subsequently reviewed by The Epoch Times.

Following widespread media reports of Beijing’s interference in Canada, the government launched a public consultation on March 10, 2023, with the aim of guiding the creation of the Foreign Influence Transparency Registry.

A foreign agent registry would “focus on shedding light on arrangements and activities taken in partnership with foreign governments.” It would also foster societal resilience by prompting individuals to exercise due diligence when engaging with or representing foreign entities.

Public Safety Canada acknowledged that certain individuals and entities may exploit the legal and democratic system in Canada, seeking to exert influence on behalf of a foreign authority. It also recognized that foreign agents’ activities “could result in policy and legislation favourable to foreign interests over Canadian ones” and mislead media and the public.

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

“Unclear labeling of state backed 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.”

A bill aimed at creating a foreign agent registry has remained stagnant in the Senate. Bill S-237, introduced by Sen. Leo Housakos, 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.

Attorney General Arif Virani dismissed a standalone registry without providing a clear rationale in a statement last November, Blacklock’s reported. “A registry is not a universal solution and should be accompanied by other initiatives,” he said.

Since 1938, the United States has implemented its own version of a foreign registry with the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Australia in 2018 enacted a Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act to track foreign agents. Last July, the United Kingdom also enacted the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.

In recent years, various forms of Beijing’s interference in Canada have come to light, including the alleged operation of at least seven secret police stations in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Additionally, a public inquiry aimed at scrutinizing foreign interference in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 federal elections is underway, following reports of the communist regime’s interference.

The government’s public consultation concluded on May 9, receiving responses from 932 individuals who participated in the online survey.

In a November 2023 report titled “What We Heard,“ the public safety department noted that respondents had ”disagreed strongly with the notion” of legitimate exemptions from registration activities. These activities include situations such as legal advice and representation, diplomatic and consular activities by accredited officials, and cases where it’s already evident that the individual or organization is working on behalf of a foreign government.