A petition against creating a public registry of foreign agents ended with less than 2,500 signatures, much less than other petitions, as shown in the records. .According to Blacklock’s Reporter, Sen. Yuen Pau Woo, who was appointed by the Liberal party, asked Canadians to support this petition..“Sign the petition,” Woo wrote in Facebook and Twitter posts..READ MORE Trudeau-Appointed Senator opposes foreign agents' registry, amid rising ‘anti-China sentiment’ .Any foreign registry “poses a serious harassment and stigmatization risk for racialized communities,” said Woo..Petition E-4395 opposed a registry “as a misleading way to identify sources of foreign influence.” .“It is difficult to distinguish between positive and malign foreign influence which goes well beyond agents who are acting for foreign governments.”.“A foreign influence registry poses a serious harassment and stigmatization risk for racialized communities,” the petition said. .“A broad definition of foreign influence could infringe on Canadians’ Charter rights.”.A total of 2,450 Canadians signed it..By comparison, more than 160,000 signed a petition to grant asylum to transgender foreigners sponsored by Green MP Mike Morrice (Kitchener Centre, ON)..Another 42,000 signed a petition opposing vaccine passports sponsored by Conservative MP Ed Fast (Abbotsford, BC)..And 41,000 petitioned Parliament for the right to recall legislation as sponsored by Conservative MP Jamie Schmale (Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes, ON)..On May 9, the department of Public Safety finished public consultations about a registry that would make it necessary for anyone paid to represent a foreign individual, company, or country to reveal that information publicly. .The Commons Special Committee on Canada-China Relations, which includes members from all political parties, released a report on May 17 A Threat to Canadian Sovereignty. In that report, they suggested that a foreign registry should be introduced..“Welcome to the registry of un-Canadian activities,” said Sen. Woo, who claimed the measure “would affect tens of thousands of Canadians who maintain links with the designated countries.” Woo gave no rationale for the claim. .There are 508 agents listed in the US Foreign Agents Registry, most of which are lobbyists based in Washington, DC..Woo wrote an article in Policy Options magazine on May 16. He said there was a lot of gossip and a “frenzy of innuendo against Chinese Canadian politicians.” .This happened after it was revealed that foreign agents were trying to influence two MPs who have Chinese ancestry. The MPs are Conservative Michael Chong (Wellington-Halton Hills, ON) and New Democrat Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, BC)..“The recent media reporting of anonymous and unsubstantiated ‘intelligence’ reports has created a frenzy of innuendo against Chinese Canadian politicians, scholars and community leaders all in the name of national security,” wrote Woo. .“A combination of ignorance, ideological zeal, fear, group think and political cowardice has created the very conditions under which a foreign influence registry is most dangerous and why we need to warn against it.”
A petition against creating a public registry of foreign agents ended with less than 2,500 signatures, much less than other petitions, as shown in the records. .According to Blacklock’s Reporter, Sen. Yuen Pau Woo, who was appointed by the Liberal party, asked Canadians to support this petition..“Sign the petition,” Woo wrote in Facebook and Twitter posts..READ MORE Trudeau-Appointed Senator opposes foreign agents' registry, amid rising ‘anti-China sentiment’ .Any foreign registry “poses a serious harassment and stigmatization risk for racialized communities,” said Woo..Petition E-4395 opposed a registry “as a misleading way to identify sources of foreign influence.” .“It is difficult to distinguish between positive and malign foreign influence which goes well beyond agents who are acting for foreign governments.”.“A foreign influence registry poses a serious harassment and stigmatization risk for racialized communities,” the petition said. .“A broad definition of foreign influence could infringe on Canadians’ Charter rights.”.A total of 2,450 Canadians signed it..By comparison, more than 160,000 signed a petition to grant asylum to transgender foreigners sponsored by Green MP Mike Morrice (Kitchener Centre, ON)..Another 42,000 signed a petition opposing vaccine passports sponsored by Conservative MP Ed Fast (Abbotsford, BC)..And 41,000 petitioned Parliament for the right to recall legislation as sponsored by Conservative MP Jamie Schmale (Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes, ON)..On May 9, the department of Public Safety finished public consultations about a registry that would make it necessary for anyone paid to represent a foreign individual, company, or country to reveal that information publicly. .The Commons Special Committee on Canada-China Relations, which includes members from all political parties, released a report on May 17 A Threat to Canadian Sovereignty. In that report, they suggested that a foreign registry should be introduced..“Welcome to the registry of un-Canadian activities,” said Sen. Woo, who claimed the measure “would affect tens of thousands of Canadians who maintain links with the designated countries.” Woo gave no rationale for the claim. .There are 508 agents listed in the US Foreign Agents Registry, most of which are lobbyists based in Washington, DC..Woo wrote an article in Policy Options magazine on May 16. He said there was a lot of gossip and a “frenzy of innuendo against Chinese Canadian politicians.” .This happened after it was revealed that foreign agents were trying to influence two MPs who have Chinese ancestry. The MPs are Conservative Michael Chong (Wellington-Halton Hills, ON) and New Democrat Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, BC)..“The recent media reporting of anonymous and unsubstantiated ‘intelligence’ reports has created a frenzy of innuendo against Chinese Canadian politicians, scholars and community leaders all in the name of national security,” wrote Woo. .“A combination of ignorance, ideological zeal, fear, group think and political cowardice has created the very conditions under which a foreign influence registry is most dangerous and why we need to warn against it.”
