Thu 11 May 2023:
Canada has made the decision to move through with the formation of a foreign agents’ registry and will attempt to propose a related bill by the end of the June parliamentary session, According to a report on Thursday by Radio-Canada,
According to the article, which cited information it had obtained, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has given the Ministry of Federal Justice the task of presenting a Bill to the House of Commons about the formation of a foreign agents’ registry either by the end of June or at some point during the Fall Parliamentary session.
According to reports, a decision was taken after the government’s public discussions on the matter, which ended on May 9, received a majority of votes in favor of the registry’s creation.
Citing a source in the government, the report said there was an urgent need for establishing a foreign agents registry to ensure the protection of both Canadians and the country’s democracy.
The registry would require that individuals acting in the name of a foreign state, to advance their interests and objectives, unveil their ties to the government they’re related to, the report added.
The idea of such a registry, which exists in Australia and the United States, is to make those dealings more transparent, with the possibility of fines or even prison time for failing to comply.
Failing to report ties with a foreign government and all violations to the legislation would suppose legal consequences, ranging from a fine to incarceration, the report continued.
Although talks on the creation of a foreign agents’ registry have been ongoing for a long time, the issue received particular attention ever since Canadian media reported in 2022, that Chinese diplomatic staff had allegedly tried to influence the outcomes of the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
Various diplomatic rows have ensued with Beijing, the latest one leading to the expulsion of a Toronto-based Chinese consular official over his alleged role in intimidating conservative lawmaker Michael Chong and his relatives over his sponsorship of a motion accusing Beijing of genocide against Uighurs.
Here’s what some of Canada’s allies have done:
- The U.K. introduced legislation in October to compel anyone acting for a foreign power or entity to declare political influencing activity, and to criminalize those who do not.
- The U.S. has had a foreign agent registry since 1938, which requires persons acting on behalf of foreign governments, entities or individuals to register if they are engaged in political activities. They’re required to make periodic public disclosures of their relationships, activities and spending in support of those activities. Violations are punishable by a maximum of five years in prison, and fines of up to $250,000.
- Australia passed a law in 2018 that created a “foreign influence transparency scheme” that also creates registration obligations for certain individuals and entities who act for the purpose of “political or governmental influence.” It creates a lifetime obligation on former cabinet ministers to register any activity they undertake on behalf of a foreign principal unless an exemption applies. Penalties for violations range from fines to prison terms of six months to five years.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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