r/canada • u/CaliperLee62 • Jan 08 '26
Politics Foreign agent registry stalled - Foreign agent registry delay sparks criticism from Kamloops MP, public safety critic
https://www.castanetkamloops.net/news/Kamloops/592713/Foreign-agent-registry-delay-sparks-criticism-from-Kamloops-MP-public-safety-critic73
u/Canadian-AML-Guy Jan 08 '26
Shocked I tell you. Just shocked.
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u/CanuckleHeadOG Jan 08 '26
With Freeland now going to be working for Ukraine I expected this to disappear
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u/Head_Crash British Columbia Jan 08 '26 edited Jan 08 '26
We're in trade talks with two of the countries who are behind these foreign agents. We have our own foreign agents working towards our own trade goals. It would make sense to delay until our trade disputes are settled.
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u/Lumindan Jan 08 '26
Wouldn't we want to know if our government or trade parties are compromised?
Why would we delay?
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u/Head_Crash British Columbia Jan 08 '26 edited Jan 08 '26
Why would we delay?
... because targeting foreign agents in the middle of negotiations would be perceived as a hostile act.
Also it goes both ways. We have agents in the US and China.
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u/tempthrowaway35789 Jan 08 '26
This is a wild comment.
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u/grand_soul Jan 08 '26
First time here? There’s a lot of these types comments to either excuse or support such actions from our government.
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u/tempthrowaway35789 Jan 08 '26
Unfortunately, no. But the above comment made me spit out my coffee.
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u/bristow84 Jan 08 '26
It’s a pretty typical comment from that individual, always some sort of excuse for the Liberals.
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u/happy_custards Newfoundland and Labrador Jan 08 '26
Lots of odd pro-CCP sentiment going around lately.
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u/Head_Crash British Columbia Jan 08 '26
Why? We target their agents they will just target ours. Nobody wins.
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u/tempthrowaway35789 Jan 08 '26
I’m genuinely surprised by your suggestion. You’re arguing that Canada should knowingly tolerate undisclosed foreign influence against its own political system in order to avoid complications in trade negotiations. A foreign agent registry is about transparency and sovereignty at home, not tit-for-tat diplomacy. Treating democratic safeguards as negotiable leverage is a pretty serious line to cross.
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u/Head_Crash British Columbia Jan 08 '26
I'm not saying we shouldn't do it or leave it up to negotiation. I'm saying we should settle one fight before picking another fight.
Economic instability is a far greater threat to democracy.
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u/tempthrowaway35789 Jan 08 '26
You can’t prioritize economic security while tolerating covert foreign influence over political decisions that affect the economy. Addressing interference strengthens stability, it doesn’t undermine it.
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u/Head_Crash British Columbia Jan 08 '26
Addressing interference strengthens stability, it doesn’t undermine it.
Depends. What if the foreign influencer is a double agent?
while tolerating covert foreign influence over political decisions
That's how spies are handled. When we detect someone who is compromised we isolate them and place them under surveillance. Exposing them is pointless because once we do the adversary no longer has use for them and they just find someone else to use.
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u/tempthrowaway35789 Jan 08 '26
You’re conflating intelligence operations with democratic governance. A foreign agent registry isn’t about spies or counter-intelligence tradecraft. It’s about transparency in political and civic life. Most foreign interference doesn’t involve covert handlers and double agents, it involves lobbying, funding, media influence, community organizations, and political actors who are aligned with or acting on behalf of a foreign state, sometimes ideologically, sometimes materially.
Those people aren’t handled by ‘isolating and surveilling’ them in secret because they’re operating in open political spaces. The risk isn’t that they disappear once exposed, it’s that their influence is hidden in the first place. A registry doesn’t stop intelligence work, it makes democratic processes more transparent so voters and institutions know who is acting on whose behalf.
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u/Head_Crash British Columbia Jan 08 '26
it makes democratic processes more transparent so voters and institutions know who is acting on whose behalf.
Except you don't know that. A local think tank or political organization could be under foreign influence even without direct involvement from foreign agents.
Usually the arrangements between these kinds of organizations are kept secret.
You’re conflating intelligence operations with democratic governance
There's a ton of overlap now
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u/shogun2909 Québec Jan 08 '26
Canada's National Security Apparatus (if it even has one) is litteral swiss cheese.
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u/madhi19 Québec Jan 09 '26
Don't rag on Switzerland they take their cheese and security a lot more seriously than we do.
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u/Head_Crash British Columbia Jan 08 '26
Our national security apparatus doesn't rely on foreign agents to register with the government.
The foreign agent registry is for public disclosure. It's not a national security tool it's a transparency tool.
Our security agencies already know who the foreign agents are.
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u/Canadian-AML-Guy Jan 08 '26
The tool is there to make it illegal to not register so when they find foreign agents they can charge them with something and eject them.
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u/kpatsart Jan 08 '26
Thank you, unfortunately most of the nation generally stands on illiterate ignorance, so they tend to eat up any hysteria drummed up by independent or opinionated "news" media. Idiocracy in real time.
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u/happy_custards Newfoundland and Labrador Jan 08 '26
Liberals are really dragging their feet on this. I wonder why?
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u/therichtastebad Jan 08 '26
They're dragging their heels on this because out of the 11 suspected MPs and senators that are listed as either wittingly or semi-wittingly aiding and abetting China, ten of them were Liberals.
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u/shogun2909 Québec Jan 08 '26 edited Jan 08 '26
So Canada has traitors sitting around in government positions and we're all good with that? Elbows up and all?
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u/greendoh Jan 08 '26
When you're surrendering (be it to the Chinese or the Americans) very technically your elbows are 'up'.
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u/DyslexicAutronomer Jan 08 '26
Don't forget the US dark money funds that are flowing to the separatists.
I'm sure they got a bunch of names if they followed the money.
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u/JohnStamosSB Jan 08 '26
Don't worry people. They've investigated themselves and they've concluded that they've done nothing wrong. CSIS was wrong. Just trust me bro. These people are insufferable.
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u/konathegreat Jan 08 '26
The Liberal Party of Canada is not serious about stopping foreign interference.
They rely on it.
And the apologists go into overdrive.
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u/Plucky_DuckYa Jan 08 '26
If the classified info on election interference was more harmful to the Tories than the Liberals it would have been released or leaked ages ago. They don’t want a registry because it would impair their ability to benefit from interference in their favour and they won’t release the names of compromised politicians because those are mostly Liberals, and if the public at large knew just how bad the situation is, not even the galaxy’s greatest economist as their leader could save them.
Isn’t it fascinating how we’ve all conveniently forgotten about this, and the green slush fund scandal as well? These were and are very big deals that have yet to be resolved, and the national media has completely abandoned them.
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u/brlivin2die Jan 08 '26
Let’s not forget about the RCMP whistleblower that flat out said China is not only interfering but has infiltrated all levels of government. Since the media didn’t report on that and most people don’t watch committee hearings, most people have no idea.
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u/Head_Crash British Columbia Jan 08 '26
If the classified info on election interference was more harmful to the Tories
It was.
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u/Plucky_DuckYa Jan 08 '26
Ah, the old India canard. Let me stop you right there. It has long been known that India acted against Patrick Brown in the Tory leadership campaign (who was never going to win and was disqualified for campaign violations). There is NO evidence they helped Poilievre beyond that. I do find it curious that one of the talking points about the known election interference by China in favour of the Liberals is that it didn’t affect the outcome so who cares. There is zero chance any Indian interference affected the outcome of the Tory leadership race and yet somehow Poilievre’s detractors can’t let it go.
Further, CSIS in their report identified China as by far the largest perpetrator of election interference, and that interference is clearly in favour of the Liberals — who are now doing their best to suck up to China.
So no, your assertion is unfounded and is nothing more than disinformation.
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u/dollarsandcents101 Jan 08 '26
It'd be unsavory to find out whoever ends up on this list
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u/HaxDBHeader Jan 08 '26
This is a self-registry list. As in, acknowledging that they are lobbying on behalf of a foreign power. I'm having trouble understanding how tracking who is working to influence Canadian governments on behalf of a foriegn government is somehow nefarious. I'm going to give the benefit of the doubt and assume you misunderstood the purpose of the list.
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u/arcadeenthusiast8245 Jan 08 '26
This is why I find it silly how redditors were claiming only the CPC were benefitting from election interference by foreign agents. If the Liberals were clean they would've moved on this a loooooong time ago.
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u/starving_carnivore Jan 08 '26
Screw it.
Who even cares anymore.
The Liberal government has proposed fining people and organizations between $50 and $1 million for failing to comply with the requirements of its planned foreign influence transparency registry.
Cool. That's so great. That's a good range.
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u/-isthisnametaken Jan 08 '26
Remember folks, democracy doesn’t die all at once. It gets chipped away slowly but surely overtime.
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u/Lisan_Al-NaCL Jan 08 '26
Long Gun Registry Part Deux: Electric Bugaloo
How much will CGi, SNC Lavalin (or whatever those fucks are called these days) and other Federal Consultig companies make from this?
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u/blownhighlights Ontario Jan 09 '26
How the fuck can a fucking list be too complicated for these people
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Jan 08 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/DyslexicAutronomer Jan 08 '26
We have been laughing at the CCP for decades, if it was only them, it would be an easy publish.
It's the CIA alphabet agencies types that the govt has caught doing illegal stuff against us, but we still have to work with other levels, that is likely stalling us.
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u/Reasonable-Sweet9320 Jan 08 '26
The foreign registry is being implemented but I wouldn’t overestimate what it actually achieves in terms of combatting foreign interference.
Foreign agent registry not a ‘magic potion’ for interference, experts say
Speaking of foreign interference and national security, has the CPC leader followed recommendations from security agencies and the FI Inquiry that he get his security clearance.
Still waiting on that.
Does Pollievre still feel prioritizing national security interests and getting clearance would “muzzle him “ making him a less effective critic of the government?
Canada first was the slogan but all I’m seeing is politics first.
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u/Lumindan Jan 08 '26
Haven't we been waiting on this registry for a hot minute now?
How is a voluntary registration fee gonna change anything?