Liberals and NDP or Bloc should strike deal to enact bills containing key changes to prevent, prohibit and penalize foreign interference, including long-delayed bill that strengthens whistleblower protection

Elon Musk and big business executives allowed to secretly spend unlimited amounts and secretly fundraise, campaign and lobby to influence Canadian politics, and to spend $600,000+ each to influence an election

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, March 3, 2025

OTTAWA – Today, Democracy Watch issued an open letter to all federal party leaders, and all Liberal Party leadership contestants, called on federal parties, or at least the Liberals and NDP or Bloc, to set aside their partisan self-interest and, before a federal election happens, act in the public interest by enacting bills to close all the huge loopholes that allow for secret, undemocratic and unethical spending, fundraising, donations, loans, lobbying and disinformation campaigns by foreign “proxies” and by enacting the long-delayed bill that strengthens federal whistleblower protection in key ways, and to strengthen enforcement and penalties.

Because of these huge loopholes, Elon Musk, and foreign-owned big businesses that operate in Canada and their multi-millionaire executives, and foreign governments using Canadian front groups and “proxies”, are all allowed to interfere in and influence Canadian policy-making processes by:

•  secretly spending unlimited amounts money on ads and other influence and interference activities in secret;

•  secretly fundraising and campaigning for nomination and political party leadership contestants, election candidates, parties and party leaders in secret;

•  secretly lobbying party leaders, MPs, Senators and their staff, and top government and party officials, in secret;

•  spreading disinformation anonymously, and;

they are also allowed to spend more than $600,000 each to influence a federal election.  And Canada’s anti-foreign interference, political finance, elections, ethics and lobbying enforcement systems are all ineffective because they all lack independence, and are allowed to be secretive, slow and largely unaccountable.

All opposition party leaders have stated that they will force an election with a vote of non-confidence right after Parliament’s scheduled opening on March 24th.  Mark Carney, who seems likely to win the Liberal Party leadership contest and become Prime Minister next week, has suggested he may call a snap election.

There is no good reason for an early election, and it is clearly not in the public interest.  Canada’s fixed election date means the pre-election period would start anyway on July 1st, and the election period in early September.  Sticking to this timetable not only gives time to enact anti-foreign interference measures, it is also fair to all the parties, gives people who want to run as candidates or volunteer on campaigns or volunteer or work for Elections Canada time to arrange their lives to make that possible.

“The federal parties all worked together to enact Bill C-70 in five weeks last spring, and there is no good reason why, before the next federal election happens, they can’t work together to pass bills to close all the loopholes in our laws that allow for secret, unethical and undemocratic foreign interference in Canadian politics, including the bill that strengthens whistleblower protection, and to make enforcement agencies independent and effective,” said Duff Conacher, Co-founder of Democracy Watch. “Any party that prevents these bills from passing into law before the next election will show that they are clearly more self-interested than dedicated to protecting the public interest.” 

“Every voter should seriously consider not voting for any party that prevents these bills from passing before a federal election happens,” said Conacher.

Bill C-65, which was introduced in the House in March 2024 and changes the Canada Elections Act in some ways to prevent foreign interference and improve election fairness, was being amended by a House Committee before Prime Minister Trudeau prorogued Parliament unjustifiably (Democracy Watch is participating in the court case challenging the prorogation, which should be ruled on very soon).

The Hogue Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions issued a negligently weak, cover-up final report at the end of January recommending only a few of many key changes needed to stop foreign interference.  For example, Commissioner Hogue said disinformation is the greatest threat to Canada’s democracy, but didn’t recommend any effective measures to prevent, prohibit or penalize disinformation.

Another comprehensive bill is needed to close the many huge loopholes ignored by Commissioner Hogue, and left open by Bill C-65 and Bill C-70, which was passed by the House and Senate in five weeks last May-June, but is full of loopholes, and still needs to be implemented to require foreign agents to disclose their activities in the Foreign Influence Registry (FIR), and to establish the new Foreign Influence Transparency (FIT) Commissioner.

Bill C-290, which strengthens federal whistleblower protection in key ways, including for people who want to blow the whistle on foreign interference activities, and cover ups of interference activities, was introduced by a Bloc MP in the House way back in June 2022, and is at second reading in the Senate.

With the approval of a majority of MPs, any bill can be moved right back to whatever stage of parliamentary review that it reached before the prorogation.

If the Bloc care about their own bill, and if they and the Liberals and NDP care about actually stopping foreign interference, and about key workplace protections for federal government employees, then they can easily, before Parliament closes for the summer at the end of June, pass these key bills just like Bill C-70 was passed last May-June.

Click here to see the Backgrounder that summarizes all the loopholes and weak enforcement problems that make foreign interference legal and easy to do across Canada at every level of government.

Click here to see summary list of 17 key changes that need to be made to stop foreign interference.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Duff Conacher, Co-founder of Democracy Watch
Tel: (613) 241-5179
Cell: 416-546-3443
Email: [email protected]

Democracy Watch’s Stop Foreign Interference in Canadian Politics Campaign and Protect Whistleblowers Who Protect You Campaign and Honesty in Politics Campaign and Money in Politics Campaign and Stop Secret Unethical Lobbying Campaign and Government Ethics Campaign and Stop Bad Government Appointments Campaign