The federal government tabled a bill on Monday to implement a package of reforms to better combat foreign interference, including the much-awaited foreign agent registry and changes to legislation surrounding Canada’s spy agency, writes The National Post.

Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc introduced An Act Respecting Countering Foreign Interference. The bill was put on the House of Commons’ notice paper in the hours following Justice Marie-Josée Hogue’s interim report on foreign interference.

In a press conference, LeBlanc said that the many changes in the new 103-page legislation would give Canada “new, modern tools” to combat foreign interference.

“Canada is a strong, open and free democracy. These strengths, however, can make Canada a target for those who wish to advance their interests to the detriment of our own”, he told reporters.

The legislation would amend the CSIS Act, the Security of Information Act, the Canada Evidence Act and the Criminal Code to create new offences related to foreign interference.

The proposed changes in the CSIS Act would enable the spy agency to share information with key partners outside of the government of Canada, something that has been requested for quite some time by business organizations and provinces alike.

It would also force a parliamentary review of the Act every five years.

As for the Security of Information Act, it would be amended to create new offences such as engaging in deceptive conduct at the direction of a foreign entity with the intent to influence among other things “the exercise of a democratic right in Canada”.