A Canadian flag flies in front of the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on March 22, 2017. (REUTERS/Chris Wattie/File Photo)
By Limin Zhou
The vast majority of Canadians support creating a registry of foreign agents to curb the growing threat of foreign interference, according to a new survey.
The registry would require anyone in Canada working for a foreign government to register with the federal government, while those who fail to register would be subject to fines or even be sentence to jail.
The survey found that 88 percent of Canadians support or somewhat support a foreign-influence registry. It was conducted by Nanos Research on behalf of The Globe and Mail. Only 7 percent oppose or somewhat oppose requiring lobbyists and retired politicians to register when they are paid by foreign countries to lobby the Canadian government, the survey said.
The poll was conducted by telephone and online random surveys between Dec. 19 and 22.
Former Canadian ambassador to China David Mulroney said on Twitter on Dec. 27 that the result of the Nanos poll is “encouraging”.
It is “important to add … new regulations limiting ability of former public servants and politicians to cash in on the knowledge, experience, contacts gained while serving Canada,” said Mulroney.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has warned of increasing threats by foreign state actors against Canada’s national security.
In a July 2021 report titled “Foreign Interference Threats to Canada’s Democratic Process,” CSIS noted the agency has observed “steady, and in some cases increasing, foreign interference” by state actors targeting Canada.
A 2020 report published by the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) identified China and Russia as “primary culprits” undertaking espionage and foreign interference activities in Canada.
Earlier this month, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said that the government is to launch public consultations on creating a foreign-agent registry.
Canadian’s allies already have similar agencies set up to tackle foreign interference from China and Russia.
The United States has a Foreign Agents Registration Act that dates back to 1938. It has also introduced new legislation, such as the “Countering the Chinese Government and Communist Party’s Political Influence Operations Act of 2018,” in response to Beijing’s growing interference in the country.
In 2018, the Australian government passed the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act to counter Chinese influence-spreading activities in the country’s political, media, and academic institutions.
In October 2022, Britain introduced the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, compelling individuals acting on behalf of foreign interests to declare their influence activity or otherwise face criminal penalties.
In Canada, the first bill to establish the Foreign Influence Registry was introduced in the House of Commons as a private member’s bill back in April 2021 by then MP Kenny Chiu, four months before the federal election was called that year.
However, due to his introduction of this bill, Chiu became a target of misinformation and disinformation by the Communist regime and Pro-Beijing Chinese groups and Chinese media during the election campaign. Chiu eventually lost the election in his riding of Richmond East, where close to half of the population is ethnic Chinese.
In February 2022 Sen. Leo Housakos re-introduced the bill to establish the Foreign Influence Registry ( Bill S-237) in the Senate.
“It is critical that Canada takes concrete steps to curb the growing threat of foreign interference into our affairs & democracy. That is why I introduced a motion calling for the establishment of a registry that identifies agents of foreign influence in Canada,” Housakos said on Twitter.