The Hill Times
At the Conservative Party convention last month in Calgary, members voted resoundingly in favour of a policy resolution from Saskatoon South to amend the foreign interference policy in the party’s policy book.
The change includes a commitment to ensure secure nominations in all parties, the implementation of a foreign‑agent registry, and measures to tackle transnational repression to protect Canadians’ rights and freedoms and our democratic institutions. The overwhelming support for this resolution demonstrates a clear sign that the Conservative membership has made it their resolve to counter foreign interference in a meaningful way. Therefore, it is now necessary for the Conservative Party to ensure proper measures—both in Parliament as the opposition party, and as a major political party—so that our processes are reviewed and made watertight against foreign influence in an unstable geopolitical landscape. Political parties should move to implement watertight nomination and leadership processes. At the very least, ensure that citizenship or permanent resident status are verified via the voters’ list or by proper identifications, and not merely by a simple declaration and driver’s licence. In doing so, we will close loopholes where foreign-funded groups buy bulk memberships to “capture” local nominations, which have long been the back door for hostile actors to influence Canadian politics. Henry Chan is former co-director of Saskatchewan Stands with Hong Kong. Handout photograph Former Conservative MP Nelly Shin, speaking in favour of the policy resolution, argued that as “moral clarity on democracy and national sovereignty is becoming blurred,” Canada must rise to the challenge of reversing our lax national‑security culture that places our institutions in a vulnerable position against hostile regimes’ attempts to undermine them. Resilience and robust measures to strengthen our democratic system should no longer be viewed as one‑off attempts, but rather as a commitment to long‑term stability and protection for our democratic way of life. As the world heads toward a much more insecure and unstable trend where the mighty and powerful do as they like, the Foreign Influence Transparency Registry—legislated in 2024, and yet to be implemented—is merely the first step against foreign interference. We must be proactive in ensuring meaningful changes in both party procedures and electoral legislation to prevent hostile actors establishing beachheads on Canadian soil. It is, therefore, of the utmost priority to avoid a short‑term economic approach and instead ensure long-term strategic plans are made regarding Canada's sovereignty. We must prepare for the possibility of being pulled into a whirlpool of crumbling international rules and norms. We must not show signs of weakness nor signs of pandering to China for short‑term wins, but instead ensure we take positions consistent with our values. We must ensure we stand on guard for our values, and make the moral argument for democracy, freedoms, and the rule of law absolutely clear. In an era where moral clarity is collapsing, it is more important than ever to draw inspiration from our ancestors who fought bravely in both World Wars, and trusted that democracy and freedom would prevail. It is imperative that we build our resilience to ensure that we are not bound merely by a few billion dollars’ worth of trade, but by our values, which, in the long term, will win respect on the international stage. We should strive to remain the gold standard, and use the leverage we have to argue for rules and procedures that protect our fundamental values. Standing firm on values often incurs consequences. As the great playwright George Bernard Shaw famously noted, “Freedom incurs responsibility; that’s why so many men fear it.” These words remind us that freedom is not free, and if we are to ensure we do not live in chains, we cannot both vie for political and economic expediency and hope that regimes will be “nice” to us if we give in to their demands When we make a deal on Chinese electric vehicles, we must remember the cost: we are dealing with a country with poor labour standards that is building new coal‑fired power stations nearly every week. This is not to ignore the real economic stakes. China is Canada’s second‑largest trading partner, with more than $29-billion in Canadian exports in 2024, including canola, pulp, ores, and seafood. These sectors may face retaliation, but such pressures are temporary. The long‑term cost of allowing an authoritarian state to shape our political environment far outweighs any short‑term trade disruptions. Critics may say we have made a “Chamberlain‑style” deal with China to buy time for Canada in the face of a two‑front trade war. If that is so, we must act rapidly, and ensure we match the long‑term strategic view of China with leadership and preparation to ensure Canadians are ready to safeguard our system from hegemonic regimes’ expansionism. More than ever, it is time for parties, Parliament, and our institutions to work together to develop long‑ignored guardrails to ensure Canadian freedom, national security, and protection from the long reach of foreign interference. We must act now; an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Henry Chan is a Saskatoon-based political commentator, spokesman, former co-director of Saskatchewan Stands with Hong Kong, and sits on the board of the Canadian Coalition for a Foreign Influence Transparency Registry. He was a recent candidate for a seat on the Conservative Party’s national council, and drafted the motion on foreign interference that was supported by delegates at the party’s national convention. The Hill Times
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