QUESTION PERIOD — Public Safety
Foreign Interference
November 28, 2023
Senator Gold, on March 30, 2022, when I asked the then public safety minister Marco Mendicino about a foreign agent registry, he replied that the idea merits study. One year later, we had the same minister in the same chamber. I asked again, and he said that his government was in the midst of conducting robust public consultations, that significant progress had been made and that he was more than optimistic that a registry would be put in place in less than a year. That particular position was echoed in this place on a number of occasions by you yourself, Senator Gold.
We’re within four months of another broken promise from this Trudeau government, and I guarantee we won’t see any bill between now and Christmas. Will we see a foreign registry bill over on the House side between now and Christmas 2023?
Thank you for your question and, again, for your advocacy on behalf of the foreign registry. The government has said — and I’ll repeat — that it is actively working on developing a foreign agent registry. The government is committed to getting it right, and when it is ready to bring forward the plan and legislation, it will do so.
Senator colleagues, do you see how discombobulated this government is? Senator Gold, the Attorney General has now stated over the last few days that your government will not be introducing a foreign agent registry. So what happened to all the consultations and optimism that were in your response to my question? The truth is that your government never had any intention of introducing a registry.
It has now been two years that we have been hearing this misinformation or disinformation. Is it a question of real incompetence on the part of the government, or is it just blatant dishonesty, period?
It is neither, honourable colleague. Again, I think that your insinuations are not appropriate. I am advised that the government is still actively working on the registry, and if and when I’m advised otherwise, I will so report.
