OTTAWA — Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says a registry to track foreign agents operating in Canada can only be implemented in lockstep with diverse communities.
Speaking to the parliamentary committee on Canada-China relations, Mendicino says some, unspecified communities have felt targeted by security agencies in the past, making it harder to keep Canada safe.
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Two months ago, the Liberals said they will eventually consult the public on the possible creation of a foreign agent registry, to prevent outside interference in Canadian affairs.
The United States and Australia have public registries that require people advocating for a foreign state to register their activities, under penalty of fines or jail time.
But the Liberals have yet to launch the consultation, and Mendicino says Ottawa has to be careful to not isolate communities who have felt under the microscope of security agencies.
Mendicino also told MPs a foreign agent registry alone would not drastically alter Canada’s ability to detect and confront national-security threats, and would only be launched as part of “a tool box” of other measures.
Mendicino is appearing at the committee based on a request last October from MPs to have senior officials testify on three allegedly illegal police stations operating in the Greater Toronto Area.
Since then, advocates for Chinese democracy have alleged that China is running two other police stations in Canada, including one in Vancouver.
RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki told MPs that Mounties are only aware of four alleged police stations and that officers have attended the scene in uniforms to gather information and be seen.
More officials will testify Monday night from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the RCMP and Public Safety Canada.
The evening meeting follows the appearance of a Chinese balloon that drifted over Canadian territory before it was spotted over the skies of Montana, leading opposition parties to ask why Ottawa didn’t alert Canadians earlier.
Last November, the federal Liberals unveiled their Indo-Pacific strategy, which calls for stronger ties with countries other than China to counterbalance Beijing’s approach to human rights and trade.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 6, 2023.
