One measure includes Ottawa setting up a foreign-agent registry that would require people advocating for a foreign state to register their activities
For more than nine months, the Liberal government has been eyeing a package of measures that could be instrumental in safeguarding Canadian democracy from foreign interference instigated by hostile states such as China – but so far has only moved ahead on one item.
A senior official said Janice Charette, Clerk of the Privy Council, and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic Leblanc, who is also responsible for democratic institutions, are now examining proposed changes to the CSIS Act and the Security of Information Act. They are expected to report to Prime MinisterWhile the Criminal Code amendment is also on the table, the official was unable to say whether this measure would move forward.
“If the service is aware crimes are taking place but feels it cannot pass this information to the RCMP, then this is something that needs to be addressed,” she said. “It could be overcome if CSIS could collect evidence that would meet an evidentiary standard, and then pass that information onto the RCMP that doesn’t necessarily cover live sources.”
“I am hoping we can land on a solution where we can use intelligence in our criminal investigations,” Commissioner Duheme added. The government sources were unable to provide details of what exactly is being proposed to the Security of Information Act. Dennis Molinaro, a former national-security analyst and professor at Ontario Tech University, said Australia provides a guide on how to use the Criminal Code to fight foreign interference. It criminalized attempts to assist a foreign power by covertly engaging in influence activities on its behalf – an offence that carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison upon conviction.
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