Among the tools proposed in the draft law is the foreign influence registry

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OTTAWA — Newly proposed legislation to combat foreign interference would strengthen criminal rules, open the door to greater sharing of classified information and create a foreign influence transparency registry.

The Liberal government introduced the bill in the House of Commons on Monday, saying it would better provide powers to detect, disrupt and protect against foreign interference.

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“Canada is a strong, open and free democracy,” Public Safety Minister Dominique LeBlanc told reporters. “However, these strengths can make Canada a target for those seeking to advance their own interests, to our detriment.”

The legislation creates crimes of targeted foreign interference aimed at deceptive or covert actions that undermine democratic processes. An example would be covertly influencing the outcome of a political process, such as the nomination of a candidate, the government said.

Another new offense makes it illegal to engage in deceptive or underhanded activities that harm Canadian interests, such as helping foreign agents posing as tourists enter Canada.

In addition, the bill amends the law to better address foreign intimidation of members of diaspora communities in Canada.

The new subversive crime focuses on activities aimed at critical infrastructure such as transport or communication systems, or the provision of health and food services.

The bill also allows Canada's security intelligence services to release classified information outside the halls of government to increase resilience against foreign interference.

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States can intervene to achieve foreign policy goals and employ people to act on their behalf without disclosing their ties to a foreign state.

The new Foreign Influence Disclosure Registry requires certain individuals to register with the federal government to avoid such activity.

An independent commissioner administers the registration scheme, which is enforced by notices, fines and, in the most serious cases, criminal penalties.

The bill also:

— introduction of new CSIS warrants into specific investigative methods;

— Increase CSIS's ability to use data sets of information;

— Assisting CSIS in gathering foreign intelligence from within Canada on the intentions and capabilities of foreign nations and individuals;

— and establishing a streamlined process under the Canada Evidence Act regarding the protection and use of confidential information in legal proceedings such as forensic examinations and legal appeals in Federal Court.

The bill comes days after a federal commission of inquiry found that foreign interference by China, India, Russia or others did not affect the overall results of the 2019 and 2021 general elections.

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In an interim report on Friday, Commissioner Marie-José Hogue said results in a small number of ridings may have been affected by the intervention, but was not sure.

Hogg concluded that, overall, foreign interference had undermined public confidence in Canada's democracy, and said it was the greatest damage Canada had ever experienced.

The Business Council of Canada welcomed the new bill, saying CSIS will be able to communicate with Canadian companies more accurately and with more accurate information.

“This will give business leaders a clearer understanding of the growing threat and the protective measures they can take to better protect their employees, customers and the communities in which they operate,” said Council President Goldie Hyder.

More needs to be done to address foreign interference, especially those that threaten or cause actual harm, said the Ottawa-based International Civil Liberties Union, a coalition of 45 organizations including Amnesty International, the Council of Canadians and the Canadian Muslim Forum. .

However, many of the proposals in the bill go far beyond addressing foreign interference and have far-reaching implications for the rights and freedoms of people in Canada, the monitoring group said.

That includes new rules on CSIS's powers to covertly collect and analyze information about Canadians, what information CSIS can disclose and to whom, and what evidence can be disclosed in open court, the group said.

“These and other changes deserve their own specific scrutiny, but instead will be lumped together with another omnibus bill.”

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