Public Safety Canada doesn’t intend to disclose how much foreign agents are being paid in its new foreign influence registry, as doing so could expose “sensitive” information.
The new Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Regulations, published in the Canada Gazette July 1, say the public registry will list foreign agents by name, including their clients and what they do in Canada, along with whether or not they have been compensated, but will not list specific amounts of money or other benefits received, as first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.
“[Public Safety] intends to include in the registry whether compensation or other benefits are provided but does not intend to publish specific dollar amounts and include only a high-level description of other types of benefits,” says the Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement accompanying the regulations.
“This approach is intended to enhance transparency for the public while avoiding unnecessary disclosure of sensitive or detailed information.”
Under the finalized regulations, however, foreign agents must disclose details of their money or benefits received, but these won’t be made public.
Canada’s new regulations differ from the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act, which has been law since 1938, in which both the government and the public receive detailed financial disclosures, including specific payments and receipts.
A government order-in-council dated June 22 indicates the first Foreign Influence Transparency Commissioner, Anton Boegman, will begin his term of seven years on Aug. 4, signalling the foreign registry will soon become operational.
New Rules
The new rules require all individuals to register who seek to influence those in public office—such as in Parliament, local school boards, police boards, and universities—on behalf of a foreign government.
“In recent years, growing concerns about covert and non-transparent foreign influence have led many Canadians to question whether government officials or processes are being unduly influenced by foreign principals,” the ministry wrote.
“By making specific information available in a public registry, the regulations will provide Canadians with a clear and accessible tool to see who is engaging in foreign influence, the nature of their activities, and any enforcement actions taken.”
It notes that foreign influence may occur through acts such as lobbying in various areas including political discussion, trade negotiations, and debate over policies, as well as subversive activities such as “spreading misinformation.”
The regulations establish administrative monetary penalties ranging from $250 to $1 million for regulatory violations, while the Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act provides for criminal penalties of up to $5 million and five years’ imprisonment for indictment or conviction of the most serious offences.
“Non-transparent foreign influence activities that aim to affect political and governmental processes for the undisclosed benefit of a foreign power undermine Canada’s sovereignty and democracy,” the notice reads. “They compromise Canada’s ability to make informed decisions free from manipulation or hidden agendas, ultimately posing a threat to Canada’s national interests.”
In past testimony on June 16 before the House committee on Procedure and House Affairs, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister of Public Safety Sébastien Aubertin-Giguère said the registry requirement would apply regardless of the intent or nature of the activities or influence work being carried out on behalf of a foreign state.
“To be clear, all arrangements with a foreign power to conduct influence activities need to be registered,” he said, adding that the registry will create a “level playing field in terms of transparency” and impose fines for failing to register within 14 days or knowingly giving false or misleading information.
In the same testimony, Aubertin-Giguère told MPs that the registry is “close to the finish line” in terms of being implemented.
He noted that in addition to regulations being published in the Gazette and the order-in-council for Boegman’s appointment, the registry will also require an order in council to bring the Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act into legal force.
Timeline
Parliament passed Bill C-70, An Act Respecting Countering Foreign Interference, two years ago, in order to enable creating a registry for tracking those who work in Canada on behalf of foreign states and allow the appointment of a commissioner to enforce the act and manage the registry.
However, details of the foreign agent registry were left up to cabinet to set via regulation.
The bill was passed amid increased concern over foreign interference, following multiple media reports, based on intelligence leaks, alleging Chinese interference in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
Aubertin-Giguère said Ottawa received 154 comments during consultations, including concern that even the $1 million top administrative fine was too low.
The registry was initially expected by June 2025, with Aubertin-Giguère telling senators in December 2024 that officials were “working towards a June [2025] time frame.”
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree provided an update in August of last year, saying the registry should be up and running by Oct. 13, 2025. The minister went on to say in January of this year that Canada would name its first foreign influence transparency commissioner in the “next week or two” after missing the end of 2025 timeline. This resulted in Boegman being named in March of this year
During the committee meeting on June 16, Tory MP Michael Cooper noted the multiple delays on when the registry would be operation, demanding more specifics from Aubertin-Giguère.
“Now it’s almost summer, and we still don’t have a registry in place, and there has been no timeline, no transparency from the minister as to when that is going to happen,” Cooper said. “How often are you in contact with the Minister of Public Safety regarding setting up the registry?”
Aubertin-Giguère said his team provides weekly updates to Anandasangaree’s office but couldn’t recall the last time he spoke to him about the registry itself.
A leading human rights coalition comprised of 33 groups recently urged Ottawa to “fully implement” the registry and finalize Boegman’s appointment, saying a number of aspects of Bill C-70 are unfinished two years after its passage.
Gloria Fung, co-convenor of the Canadian Coalition for a Foreign Influence Transparency Registry, has also raised concerns about “signs of resurgence of foreign interference from identified active players” in Canada and said Ottawa must take “immediate steps” to put the registry in place and get Boegman formally appointed.
Tory MPs have previously expressed concerns that the delay in getting the registry operational leaves the nation vulnerable, with Conservative MP Shelby Kramp-Neuman saying last November that Canada risks being seen as a “playground for foreign interference” by not implementing the registry quickly enough.
Olivia Gomm contributed to this report.
