Ottawa, Ontario
The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, and the Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, highlighted that Bill C-70, An Act respecting countering foreign interference, received Royal Assent on June 20, 2024.
Bill C-70 bolsters Canada's ability to detect, disrupt and counter foreign interference threats to all people in Canada, including members of diaspora communities, through a series of new measures and legislative amendments to national security and criminal laws. It brings the most significant update to the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service Act (CSIS Act) since the Act was first brought into force in 1984. The Bill also modernizes foreign interference offences in the Security of Information Act and the sabotage offence in the Criminal Code. Finally, Bill C-70 also made changes to the Canada Evidence Act to establish a standardized regime for handling sensitive information in administrative proceedings.
The Bill sets out the framework for a new Foreign Influence Transparency Registry, which will be administered by an independent Foreign Influence Transparency Commissioner. The coming into force date of the Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act (FITAA), which creates the Foreign Influence Transparency Registry, will be set by the Governor-in-Council in the coming months.
The changes to the CSIS Act come into force immediately. Changes to the Security of Information Act, the modernization of the sabotage offence in the Criminal Code, and amendments to the Canada Evidence Act will come into force 60 days after Royal Assent, on August 19, 2024.
The Government of Canada is committed to protecting Canada and individuals in this country from the threat of foreign interference, and to enhancing our collective resilience against malign foreign influence. Together, we can better protect Canadian values, principles, rights and freedoms from malicious actors threatening to harm them.
