Liberals set to begin consultation on creation of foreign influence registry

OTTAWA – The Liberal government is poised to take the next step toward creating a registration system to help prevent foreign meddling in Canadian affairs.

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino plans to announce public consultations Friday on a foreign influence transparency registry.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said earlier this week that details of the consultation would be coming soon.

Under such a registry, people who act on behalf of a foreign state to advance its goals would have to disclose their ties to the government employing them.

The idea is to make such dealings more transparent, with the possibility of fines or even prison time for failing to comply.

The government signalled late last year it wanted to hear from experts and the broader public — including members of affected communities — on following the lead of allies including the United States and Australia in establishing a registry.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 9, 2023.