MPS, diaspora groups seek registry law

Liberals have promised new legislation

OTTAWA • MPS from all political parties, and representatives from multiple diaspora groups called on the government to swiftly introduce legislation to create a foreign agent registry, legislation they say has already been drafted.

The Canadian Coalition for a Foreign Influence Transparency Registry held a press conference Tuesday in the House of Commons. The coalition is an umbrella organization of multiple diaspora groups who argue they have been targeted by foreign influence.

The proposed registry would require anyone working on behalf of a foreign government to register and the Liberals committed to bringing in such a registry more than a year ago. They launched consultations with diaspora groups about what the registry should cover, but have yet to introduce any legislation.

Gloria Fung, a spokesperson for the coalition, said it is past time that such a registry be put in place.

“Foreign interference and intimidation pose a grave threat to our community’s national security and Canada’s election integrity, but governments have ignored Canadians’ concerns despite our decades of repeated warnings,” she said.

Fung said she understands the legislation is drafted and all that needs to happen is for it to be introduced in Parliament.

“The government has been talking about creating it since 2021. There’s been extensive consultation, the only thing lacking is the political will to get it done,” she said.

Fung was joined by members of other diaspora groups and MPS from every political party in the House of Commons.

Conservative MP Tom Kmiec said the legislation is needed and his party would help get it through the house quickly so it can be in place before the next election.

“If you take money from a foreign source or a foreign government, you should have to register in Canada. The United States has had a foreign registry since the 1930s. Australia has a foreign registry.”

NDP MP Jenny Kwan, who has been a target of foreign interference, said the government should bring this legislation to help diaspora groups and politicians like herself.

“It is time, in fact, it is long overdue. What we do know is that the government said they will do it and they said, in fact, last year that they would introduce this legislation,” she said.

Backbench Liberal MP John Mckay said he understands the government is close to being able to table a bill, but he said there is more than just the issue of the registry that needs to be addressed.

“There’s a lot of work that’s going on and some things are more ready than others to be tabled,” he said. “I take comfort in the fact that all of the colleagues from Parliament are here to get a bill from today to royal assent through all of the stages of Parliament and all of the stages of the Senate.”

Public Safety Minister Dominic Leblanc told reporters Tuesday there are many things that need to be addressed, including a foreign agent registry, CSIS reform and the ongoing work of the foreign interference commission.

He said legislation to create the registry would be coming soon.

“This is part of our ongoing effort to strengthen legislation with respect to foreign interference,” he said.

The coalition’s call for a foreign agent registry came on the same day former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu testified about misinformation that he believed played a role in his defeat in 2021.

Chiu authored a private member’s bill during his time in office that called for a foreign agent registry.

He told MPS on the House of Commons Ethics Committee that he believed there was a concerted misinformation campaign targeting him and the government did nothing.

“It was obvious that there were targeted campaigns of attack against me and I was basically alone,” he said.

Chiu mentioned testimony from the Foreign Interference Commission earlier this month, where senior bureaucrats testified that they asked Facebook to remove a piece of misinformation about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the social media company brought to the government’s attention.

Chiu said the government made no effort to remove misinformation about him on Wechat, another social media platform.

“It looks like there are some Canadians that are more worthy and valuable for protection than others.”