OTTAWA: Did a Tuesday morning Press Conference by concerned diaspora groups in Canada make a difference?
In a defining moment for Canadian democracy, the urgency to adopt a Foreign Influence Transparency Registry, FITR (also known as FARA, US), was spotlighted in a press conference held at the Media Gallery of the West Block on Tuesday in Ottawa.
This event, crucially timed on the eve of Judge Hogue’s interim report on election interference, brought together a diverse coalition of community organizations and bipartisan parliamentary members, emphasizing the need for immediate legislative action.
During the conference, Gloria Fung, convenor of the presser and Coalition, passionately articulated the necessity of the registry, linking it directly to Canada’s national security: “The inquiry into Foreign Interference has clearly demonstrated the vulnerability of our democracy and multicultural communities to the threat of foreign interference, intimidation, and transnational repression,” Fung stated. Her plea was a clarion call for unity and immediate action among parliamentarians to protect these vulnerable groups.
Marcus Kolga, President of the Central and Eastern European Council in Canada, echoed Fung’s sentiments, underscoring the pressing need for legislative measures as elections loom. “The sovereignty of our democratic decision-making processes is at stake,” Kolga warned, pointing out the insidious nature of foreign authoritarian influence operations that continue to target Canada.
In fact, a number of the MPs in attendance had just recently found out that Beijing had targeted them in an effort to monitor their respective efforts to combat the CCP’s repression of Uyghurs and their advocacy in Canada. Canada became the first nation in the world in February of 2023 to pass a resettlement act that would see Canada accepting 10,000 Uyghur refugees worldwide. It was a private member’s bill sponsored by Liberal MP, Sameer Zuberi from Quebec and took about a year to get through all of the hurdles. Beijing had targeted Liberal MP’s Sameer Zuberi, John McKay, and Conservative MP Michael Chong for their efforts to bring the Uyghur genocide and this was part of the backdrop for demanding Canada safeguard itself with some form of FARA.
Amidst these calls for action, a question from Bob Fife of The Globe and Mail highlighted concerns within the Chinese-Canadian community that the registry might unfairly target them. Jenny Kwan, an NDP MP from Vancouver, BC, who was a target for her work advocating for Hong Kongers, responded firmly to this concern, emphasizing the inclusiveness of the proposed measures; “This registry applies to protect everyone, every single Canadian. It doesn’t matter what community you come from; it protects all Canadians,” Kwan explained, dispelling the notion of racial targeting.
Those engaged in the battle to expose the powerful Beijing proxies and the United Front in Canada know all too well how the “RACE” card has been used to silence anyone, who dare speak up about the acts of bad actors within the community to which there are some. These people often hide in plain sight but are clearly advocating on behalf of the regime. Senator’s Woo and Oh come to mind on this front. “Well, I would like to say this to Senator Wu and those, who are speaking against the Foreign Interference Registry: this registry applies to protect everyone, every single Canadian. It doesn’t matter what community you come from, it gives protection to all Canadians. Contrary to the idea that somehow it targets only one community, for example, the Chinese-Canadian community, that is wrong.
Kwan further addressed the efficacy and fairness of such a registry, suggesting that fears about specific community targeting are unfounded. “It is precisely because we want communities like the Chinese-Canadian and Uyghur Canadians to be protected that we are advocating for this registry,”
René Villemure of the Bloc Québécois the Quebec party also took the stage to announce a proactive step by his party: “We are preparing to introduce a private member’s bill focused on foreign interference, which has been developed in consultation with Canadian intelligence and law enforcement to ensure it is robust and comprehensive,” Villemure stated. This announcement underscored the bipartisan support for legislative action. He encouraged his parliamentary colleagues to join them in a collaborative effort to craft effective solutions informed by expert insights. Those insights come from veterans of foreign affairs and the intelligence apparatus.
Rene Villemure, MP, Bloc Quebecois, is introducing a Private Members bill for a Foreign Agents Registry.
While the U.S. model of the Foreign Agents Registration Act was briefly referenced as a longstanding example of such a registry, it was expressed that our legislation is focused more on adapting the concept to suit Canadian values and requirements rather than simply copying the American approach. The aim is to develop a system that respects Canada’s unique multicultural landscape while providing a robust framework against foreign interference.
As the commission sifted through the weight of the testimony in round one, it became clear that the interference in both the 2019 and 2021 elections tells us a lot. And yet, those in the Prime Minister’s office and the PM himself seemed to brush off countless Canadian Intelligence Service reports and briefings that the Chinese Communist Party was a threat to Canada’s democracy and freedoms. Han Dong, Liberal MP (the catalyst for the hearings) whose conduct in his nomination to win and subsequent engagement with the Chinese Consulate, has told Canadians there was more than a passing interest by a foreign government in putting their person forward, and many in the Liberal party have known about this collaboration for decades.
We can no longer accept the Prime Minister’s word that we have robust checks and balances in place and that the elections were indeed free and fair. Even if it was just the Liberal party nomination process that let Han Dong become the candidate, given all the known facts about the CCP’s direct engagement in his successful candid nomination, you have to ask a few questions. Was it Wilful Blindness, arrogance or a veiled endorsement for pre-Beijing candidates to be in the Liberal party and parliament, as reporters seemed to indicate in their coverage of the inquiry testimony?
Canada is a relatively young country and was conceived by our fathers of confederation at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island in 1867 when foreign interference and concerns for national security came chiefly from the United States but today, it is about ensuring that any foreign government that is represented by a lobbyist, consultant, association, or a former diplomat, civil servant or Prime Minister that all is disclosed and transparent to ensure that who those lobbying our officials are known to them and to whom they represent. It is the kind of protection that is long overdue but successive political parties in Canada have actually stalled this process due to their own selfish political interests and for many who left the political arena who were paid by Beijing to advocate for a strong and robust engagement for the Win-Win with the totalitarian regime. Elite capture has been a part of the problem since first identified in a Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) 1998 operational report named Sidewinder. The report by former Chief of Asia Pacific Michel Juneau Katsuya was quickly buried and he was shifted to the side and left the agency a couple of years later.
For many, who understand the complexity of today’s economic and geopolitical environment, FITR, is seen as a critical first step in safeguarding the integrity of Canada’s democratic processes, especially with federal elections on the horizon. The Coalition’s unified voice resounded with a sense of urgency and a demand for action, calling on all Canadians to support the swift enactment of the registry.
The press conference marked a pivotal moment in the ongoing effort to confront and mitigate foreign interference in Canada. With determination and a unified approach, the coalition advocates for legislative action that ensures transparency and protection for all Canadians, reinforcing the resilience of Canada’s democratic institutions for the future.
It is about time Canada joined the 21st century and woke up to the dangers of foreign influence on our democracy.
Dean Baxendale is a publisher, writer and human rights advocate. He is the CEO of Optimum Publishing and the China Democracy Fund and a contributor to The Sunday Guardian.