‘Cautiously Optimistic’: Ex-MP Who Paid the Price for Championing Foreign Agent Registry Welcomes New Legislation

Former Tory MP Kenny Chiu says he welcomes the Liberal government’s proposed legislation to create a foreign agent registry. Mr. Chiu, who previously introduced a similar bill, became a target of foreign interference and disinformation campaign in the 2021 election, which he lost.

“I’m cautiously optimistic because I’ve been saying the foreign influence registry is the lowest-hanging fruit. It’s the easiest that we could introduce without infringing on any Canadians’ freedoms and rights to engage in political activities,” Mr. Chiu, who represented Steveston—Richmond East in B.C. from 2019 to 2021, told The Epoch Times on May 7, a day after the Liberal government introduced Bill C-70, an Act Respecting Countering Foreign Interference.

The proposed legislation comes three years after Mr. Chiu introduced a similar private member’s bill, C-282, in April 2021. Mr. Chiu’s advocacy for the registry made him a target of disinformation campaigns on Beijing-backed social media platforms. One such article reviewed by The Epoch Times misstated the purpose of his bill, saying it was to “suppress the Chinese community” in Canada. Mr. Chiu later lost his seat in the 2021 federal election.

“Finally, after so much denying, delaying, and dragging the feet, the Canadian government seems to be now moving in a good direction,” he said.

The government’s proposed legislation is intended to strengthen criminal penalties for foreign interference. It includes the introduction of the Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act (FITAA), which would require individuals and entities entering into arrangements with foreign principals to register the arrangements and disclose any foreign influence activities.

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“Since the CCP has weaponized Han Chinese [ethnic] nationalism, I have no doubt that there will, perhaps, be people who are willingly participating in [Beijing’s foreign interference campaigns] without receiving any benefits,” he said. “For these people, monetary penalties and even jail time, perhaps, may not be enough to discourage them.”

Mr. Chiu suggested additional tools to address technological threats such as malign algorithms that could expose Canadians’ private information to a hostile foreign government.

He also reiterated his stance on sanctioning Chinese state media like CGTN, akin to Canada’s banning of Russian television network RT from Canadian airwaves following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. In testimony before the House of Commons ethics committee on March 31, 2023, Mr. Chiu stated, “These multi-dimensional disinformation campaigns help to solidify mistrust towards certain politicians or political parties, and they are very effective, especially during election time.”

“I’m still very concerned about the timing of the proposed act’s implementation, that is, whether it will get passed in Parliament soon enough for it to become up and running before the next election is called,” she told The Epoch Times on May 7.

“If not, then for sure the election infiltration and interference we experienced in 2019 and 2021 will repeat itself in the 2025 election. Therefore, we call upon all members of parliament and senators to share this sense of urgency. We will be watching how all parties respond to this need for immediate action.”

A public inquiry into foreign interference has been studying allegations of Beijing’s meddling in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 federal elections. In an interim report, published on May 3, the commission recognized China as “the most persistent and sophisticated foreign interference threat to Canada.”

Mr. Chiu’s private member’s bill did not reach second reading before the House of Commons went on summer break in 2022. An election was called in August of that year, effectively terminating the legislation. In February 2022, Sen. Leo Housakos introduced similar legislation, S-237, but it has not garnered support.

In response to inquiries from The Epoch Times, Mr. Housakos’ office pointed to his comments on the issue during the Senate question period on May 7, when he questioned the government’s delay in supporting both his legislation and Mr. Chiu’s.

“You could have introduced it as a government bill after Mr. Chiu lost his seat as a result of interference from Beijing. Why did it take so long to put this piece of the puzzle on the table and get it done?” he asked.

“Sunlight is always the best sanitizer,” she said, adding, “It will also help to get rid of the clouds of suspicion overhanging our [Chinese] community.”