(Ottawa) Given the Trudeau government’s slowness in creating a register of foreign agents of influence, the Bloc Québécois intends to soon present a bill to create this instrument, which has been requested by numerous organizations for several months, in order to better counter foreign interference in the country.
Posted at 6:02 p.m.
Bloc MP René Villemure promises that this bill will have an impact: not only does it require foreign agents of influence to declare their activities in a register, but it also requires the Canadian side to do so, regardless of whether the person is an MP or an MP Acts as a senator, civil servant or professor in an educational institution.
The obligation imposed on the Canadian side will ensure better traceability of the activities of foreign agents of influence on Canadian territory, said Mr. Villemure, an ethics expert, in an interview with La Presse on Monday.
The Bloc Québécois bill could receive the support of a majority of MPs in the House of Commons, where Justin Trudeau’s Liberals are in the minority. In the spring, the Conservative Party passed a motion calling for the conduct of a public inquiry into foreign interference and the creation of a register of foreign agents of influence, which was passed thanks to the support of the Bloc Québécois, the NDP and members of the Green Party.
In addition, the Conservative Party attempted to pass a bill to establish a register ahead of the 2021 federal election. The bill was destroyed on the resolution paper after the election call.
The Trudeau government has said for several months that establishing such a registry is a priority and that a bill to establish it will be introduced in the fall. But the government’s House of Representatives leader, Minister Karina Gould, barely mentioned the issue when she outlined the government’s priorities during the autumn session of Parliament.
Result: The Bloc Québécois considers the Trudeau government’s slowness to be unacceptable and therefore intends to submit its own bill.
“Establishing a registry is a Liberal promise. However, this has not yet happened. The government doesn’t budge. We’re going to move in the block. This will happen in the next few days,” confirmed Mr. Villemure.
Several of Canada’s allies, such as the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom, have introduced a registry to counter foreign interference. However, the bill proposed by the Bloc Québécois stands out in that it imposes an obligation on the Canadian side to lift the veil on meetings with foreign agents of influence.
In our bill, both parties have To the meetings. The register therefore not only enables easy registration, but also enables verifications to be carried out. It is different from what is done elsewhere. This will make it possible to follow what is happening in this area in Canada.
Bloc MP René Villemure
“We know that foreign interference is a very real thing. It’s quite subtle and very present. If we don’t take clear action, we will lose the game. By requiring both parties To, we have the opportunity to know what is happening even if a foreign agent does not register. This is an important new feature. »
Mr Villemure made it clear that strict sanctions would be imposed on anyone attempting to circumvent the register. This part of the bill is currently being prepared.
“Interference is a serious matter. The punishment cannot simply be that we are deprived of dessert. This needs to be clarified because we are not there yet. However, my wish is that the foreign agent who does not comply with the obligations of the registry be expelled. We need something deterrent,” he said.
Mr. Villemure confirmed his intentions on the eve of the publication on Tuesday of the report of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Protection of Personal Data and Ethics in Foreign Interference, Particularly from China. The Committee devoted several sessions to examining this issue to assess the threats it poses to the integrity of democratic institutions, intellectual property and the Canadian state.
Everything indicates that the creation of a register of foreign agents of influence will be part of the committee’s recommendations.