Bill S-237 – put forth by Conservative Senator Leo Housakos – is being blocked in the Senate. Instead of endless ‘consultations on a foreign agent registry,’ Bill S-237 should become law.
Much of what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in his press conference on foreign interference was about buying time.
Trudeau is hoping to give the appearance of ‘doing something,’ and then have public attention move elsewhere so he can go back to studiously ignoring the issue of China’s interference in our elections.
Part of that effort was to propose ‘consultations’ on bringing in a foreign agent registry.
‘Consultations’ on a registry pushes the issue into the future.
And that proposal ignores two big things:
There have already been consultations, and there is already a Bill in the Senate that – if passed – would create a foreign agent registry.
Exactly. Have they set any dates? Announced the methodology of the consultations? Anything? Answer: No.
Meanwhile, they have a bill already drafted that could easily be studied by committee as early as tomorrow. Tell the Trudeau Senators to stop blocking S237. https://t.co/2BXeZMDxpj— Senator Leo Housakos (@SenatorHousakos) March 7, 2023
You can read the summary and preamble of Bill S-237 below:
Summary
“This enactment enacts the Foreign Influence Registry and Accountability Act, which imposes an obligation on individuals acting on behalf of a foreign principal to file a return when they undertake specific actions with respect to public office holders. It also provides for the establishment of a public registry in which all returns must be kept.
It also amends the Criminal Code to increase the sentence for intimidation if the offender acted on behalf of the government of a foreign state, and it specifies that anyone who has filed a return under the Foreign Influence Registry and Accountability Act is presumed to be acting on behalf of the government of a foreign state unless the contrary is proved on a balance of probabilities.”
You can read the full text of the legislation here.
Pass Bill S-237
Senator Leo Housakos has been doing important work to strengthen Canada’s defenses against China’s efforts to undermine our institutions.
His proposed legislation – Bill S-237 – would be an important part of protecting our democracy, and rebuilding our credibility among our allies, something that is essential as the world gets more dangerous.
If the Liberals are actually serious about wanting to confront China’s election interference in a non-partisan way, they should stop blocking Bill S-237 and ensure it passes and becomes law.
Spencer Fernando
Photo – YouTube
