Parliamentary Committee Notes: Overview of Recent Announcements on Foreign Interference
2023-2024 Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (PROC)
Date: May 24, 2023
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Fully releasable (ATIP)? Yes
Branch/Agency: NCSB/PS
- The threat posed by foreign interference is not new. Canada's security and intelligence agencies have been countering this threat for decades, often outside the public eye.
- The Government of Canada has a number of robust and longstanding initiatives in place to counter this pervasive threat. That said, foreign interference is a moving target.
- As noted by the Independent Special Rapporteur, the Right Honourable David Johnston, in his First Report, the Government of Canada has continuously undertaken initiatives to address the rapidly evolving foreign interference threat.
- To this end, in March 2023 the Prime Minister announced a series of initiatives to take further action to combat foreign interference and uphold confidence in our democratic institutions.
- This included the launch of public consultations to guide the creation of a Foreign Influence Transparency Registry in Canada to ensure accountability from people who advocate on behalf of a foreign government.
- Minister Mendicino launched these consultations on 10 March 2023. While the online component of the consultations closed on May 9, discussions with stakeholders across the country have continued.
- This includes discussions with community groups who are frequently the targets and victims of foreign interference.
- The consultations have demonstrated broad support for the establishment of a Foreign Influence Transparency Registry.
- The Government of Canada is also making significant investments in our Counter-Foreign Interference capabilities. Budget 2023 includes $13.5 million over five years, starting in 2023-24, and $3.1 million ongoing to Public Safety Canada to establish a National Counter-Foreign Interference Office.
- As indicated in Mr. David Johnston's First Report, a Counter-Foreign Interference Coordinator was appointed at Public Safety Canada to coordinate efforts to combat foreign interference.
- Budget 2023 also includes $48.9 million over three years for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to protect Canadians from harassment and intimidation by foreign actors, to increase its investigative capacity, and to more proactively engage with communities at greater risk of being targeted.
- These investments build on Budget 2022, where the government committed $13.4 million to renew and expand the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism over the next five years, to address foreign threats to democracy. This was in addition to $12.9 million over five years to establish a Research Security Centre at Public Safety Canada to protect Canadian research, while strengthening the security posture at universities and research institutions.
- These significant investments will contribute to increasing the Government of Canada's capacity in its ongoing efforts to counter-foreign interference.
- Additionally, last week, Minister Mendicino issued a Ministerial Direction to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service on national security threats directed at Parliament and parliamentarians.
- This new Ministerial Direction reinforces the government's expectation that these threats are to be given the priority they deserve, that parliamentarians are to be informed of these threats to the extent possible, and that Minister Mendicino is to always to be kept fully informed of these threats and of CSIS's actions in response.
- The Government of Canada continues to review and assess the tools and authorities we have in place to ensure our approach keeps pace with modern threats. This includes existing legislation, such as the CSIS Act, the Criminal Code, the Security of Information Act.
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