NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party wants foreign interference legislation to pass quickly through the House of Commons, but his party did not support a Conservative motion to speed its passage.
On Wednesday, Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong introduced a motion to expedite the passage of Bill C-70, a wide-ranging bill aimed at tackling foreign interference, by June 12. The House of Commons is scheduled to rise for its summer recess on June 21. .
The NDP opposed the associated unanimous consent motion that sought to speed up the process, which meant it could not be adopted by the house.
NDP House Leader Peter Julian said the wording of the motion had changed from what was initially agreed upon, and that’s why he said “no” to unanimous consent.
On Thursday, Singh said Julian is working with his counterparts in other parties to pass the legislation quickly, but the NDP wants to hear more from experts first. Julian said Thursday that he hopes the legislation will pass before the next election.
“We also want to make sure we have experts providing advice on how to best improve the bill to protect people. Our goal in any discussion about foreign interference has always been what is best for Canadians,” Singh said.
Chong, who appeared as a witness during the Hogue commission into foreign interference after CSIS named him as a target of Chinese interference efforts, wrote a letter to Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc saying the Conservatives would work with the government to approve the invoice quickly.
“Mr. President, the government has often asked the official opposition to work with them and this is a case where we will do so,” Chong said during Wednesday’s debate.
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Speaking to Global News on Thursday, Chong said the motion was essentially cramming eight weeks of public safety committee hearings into four full days of meetings. He said the NDP opposition doesn’t make sense to him.
“I didn’t find a justification that made sense to me. That is why we ask you to bring forward some scheduling motion in the coming days to ensure the quick passage of this bill in the House with sufficient scrutiny,” Chong said.
“That is why the motion would have ensured that the public safety committee had enough time to hear from witnesses and experts to examine the bill.”
Bill C-70 aims to give CSIS greater powers to address foreign interference, introduce new and updated criminal offenses for sabotage and political interference, increase prison sentences for associated offences, and create a registry of influence foreigner.
Singh said Thursday that he does not expect the Conservatives to act in good faith.
“It’s not about winning political points. This is about protecting democracy,” Singh said.
“So our position has been very serious and we have taken this very seriously at all times, and we want to make sure that we pass bills, but also listening to the experts ensures that we are ensuring that Canadians are better protected.” .
This comment from Singh does not sit well with Chong.
“I don’t play political games. This is a serious issue that affects many Canadians in the diaspora communities, it affects many Canadians and the Chinese community, the Persian community, the South Asian community who have been victims of these foreign interference threat activities that have “We have been victims of authoritarian states that are attacking them in secret, coercive and corrupt ways,” Chong said.
“We have heard much testimony in recent years, particularly through the public inquiry led by Judge Hogue, that has highlighted these threatened foreign interference activities. The time for action is now. “We need to take advantage of this opportunity to get this bill adopted before we adjourn for the summer.”
Chong added that during a briefing with public officials about the legislation, MPs were told it would take up to 12 months to implement the bill’s measures once passed.
Speaking to Global News on May 7, BC NDP MP Jenny Kwan said she believes it is essential to not only pass the bill, but implement it in the upcoming federal election.
“Well, I don’t think the bill will be passed before the summer, but it has to be passed before the next election, and it has to be in place before the next election, not just passed and given royal assent,” Kwan said. . that interview.
“So I will continue to put pressure on the government and demand it for all Canadians, not just for the people affected, not just for parliamentarians, but for all Canadians and for our democratic process.”
Kwan also testified before the Hogue commission, having previously been warned by CSIS that he is a target of foreign interference.
– with files from Sean Boynton and Mackenzie Gray of Global News.
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