A new petition calling for the swift creation of a foreign agent registry has been brought before the House of Commons. The petition also raises concerns about reported efforts within certain communities to link the proposed registry with Canada’s long-abolished Chinese Exclusion Act.
Petition e-4534, initiated by Toronto resident Winnie Ng, notes that the proposed foreign registry legislation only applies to those seeking to lobby on behalf of a foreign government in Canada, unlike the Chinese Exclusion Act. The act, officially the 1923 Chinese Immigration Act, was discriminatory, resulting in the prohibition of Chinese immigrants to Canada for over 20 years.
