Proposed Foreign Agent Registry Has Teeth But Lacks Independence

The Government of Canada has introduced legislation to create a registry of foreign agents that would be less independent and potentially less transparent than the current federal lobbyists' registry.

The proposed Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act, Part 4 of Bill C-70,¹ would give the Prime Minister and Cabinet, through regulation, broad discretion to decide what information must be disclosed, who is not required to register, and how the new law will be enforced.

Mandatory Registration

The proposed Act would require registration of persons who enter arrangements with foreign principals to communicate with public office holders, to disseminate information by any means including social media, or to distribute money, items or services, in relation to Canadian political or governmental processes.