(Ottawa) The Senate adopted Wednesday evening the bill aimed at countering acts of foreign interference in Canada.
Senators approved Bill C-70 after rejecting a proposed amendment that sought to ensure innocent people were not caught in its net.
The bill, which must now obtain royal assent, includes new criminal provisions against “surreptitious or deceptive conduct”, the sharing of sensitive information with companies and the creation of a transparency register on foreign influence.
The bill recognizes that states and other foreign entities that interfere in the promotion of political objectives could employ individuals to act on their behalf, without disclosing the existence of these connections. To guard against such activities, the transparency registry would require certain individuals to register with the federal government.
Civil society organizations had called for more time to examine the bill, tabled in the House of Commons less than seven weeks ago. These organizations argued that such haste could result in flawed provisions in the law that would violate certain individual rights.