As Prime Minister Mark Carney attempts a diplomatic reset with China and India, his government has yet to name its candidate to oversee the promised foreign interference registry to address the threat of political meddling and transnational repression.
But as public attention shifts toward economic concerns over human rights, NDP MP Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, B.C.) says the federal government must “walk and chew gum at the same time,” and remain focused on protecting Canadians caught in the crosshairs of foreign influence.
“The federal government can’t take its eyes off the need to protect Canadians and our democratic institutions,” said Kwan, her party’s public safety and national security critic, in an interview with The Hill Times. Her comments came as Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand (Oakville East, Ont.) wrapped up travel to India and China for talks with government officials.
“Our democratic institutions are the foundation of who we are as a country, and they were—and are—under attack,” Kwan said, adding that while the issue may have faded from headlines since justice Marie-Josée Hogue’s final Foreign Interference Commission report earlier this year, the threat remains.
Released Jan. 28, Hogue’s report warned that “the fight against foreign interference will be a never-ending battle” requiring “relentless effort and perseverance,” and that China is the “most active perpetrator of state-based foreign interference” in Canada, followed by India.
While Hogue noted that the previous Trudeau government had “taken too long to act” and “proven to be a poor communicator and insufficiently transparent,” she acknowledged signs the government had begun “prioritizing” the issue over the course of the inquiry and in the previous two years.
Since then, however, Kwan said it has been “mystifying” how quickly Carney’s team had seemingly forgotten those lessons.
Kwan said that while the Liberals’ promised Foreign Influence Transparency Registry had been introduced parallel to the inquiry last year, the government is no closer to its implementation than it was before the election.
Introduced in May 2024 and unanimously approved by all parties the following month, Bill C-70, the Countering Foreign Interference Act, created the legal framework for the registry as part of the new Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act, alongside amendments to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act, the Security of Information Act, the Canada Evidence Act, and the Criminal Code. The registry requires those acting on behalf of foreign states or entities to disclose influence activities directed at Canadians or elected officials within 14 days. Failure to comply could result in a fine of up to $5-million, and/or five years in prison.
Before the bill passed, officials estimated implementation would take “up to a year.” This past May, Public Safety officials said several steps—including office setup, IT infrastructure, and regulation development—still needed to be completed.
In August, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree (Scarborough–Guildwood–Rouge Park, Ont.) told CBC News the long-awaited commissioner would be named in September, with the registry to launch later this fall.
According to the legislation, the appointment of the commissioner is to be made after consultations with the leader of the opposition, and the leader of each “recognized party” with at least 12 members in the House of Commons, and leaders of every other recognized party or parliamentary group in the Senate. The appointment will also require approval by resolution in both parliamentary chambers.
In her report, Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue found China to be the ‘most active perpetrator of state-based foreign interference’ in Canada, followed by India. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Yet, as of Oct. 20, the Bloc Québécois said it had not been consulted on the candidate. On Oct. 21, in response to multiple requests to clarify the state of consultations, Anandasangaree’s office said it had “no update to provide at this time.”
The Conservative Party did not respond to multiple inquiries regarding whether Leader Pierre Poilievre (Battle River–Crowfoot, Alta.) had been consulted, and MP Michael Chong (Wellington—Halton Hills North, Ont.), his party’s foreign affairs critic, declined to comment on Anand’s recent trip to China and India.
“It’s mystifying to me why the Liberals have taken so long and still have yet to fully put in place the commissioner and the registry. This should have been done before the last election,” Kwan said. She called the government’s attempt to reset relations with China while “paying lip service” to the threat of foreign interference “deeply concerning.”
While the issue may not be a top concerns for many Canadians, for those being targeted, it can be “a matter of life and death,” Kwan said.
In 2023, Kwan was briefed by Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), which warned her she remains an “evergreen target” for Beijing due to her advocacy on Chinese human rights. Chong and his family have also faced alleged interference and intimidation by the Chinese government for his condemnation of Beijing’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims as a genocide.
“I am constantly worried about this, but that doesn’t mean I’m not also worried about affordability issues for Canadians; I can do both,” Kwan said. “The Carney government needs to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time; they need to address both with the level of seriousness and attention they require.”
Kwan said that while Canadians may be more focused on the financial pressures in their daily lives to the exclusion of everything else, the federal government can’t afford to lose focus.
“We’ve only just scratched the surface in addressing foreign interference activities, and much work needs to be done; the government needs to actually ensure the work is done,” Kwan said. “Right now, I don’t see any action.”
