[1] The Act was introduced by Justin Trudeau's government and came in the wake of official probes into Chinese interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections and the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and the high degree of public concern these events generated among Canadians, especially among diaspora communities.

[2][3] Following the report, Prime minister Justin Trudeau condemned China, but defended the government's handling of the interference operation, stating that civil servants had determined "the integrity of our elections was not compromised.".

But Trudeau initially resisted calls for a public inquiry by the opposition,[3] however he eventually agreed and appointed Justice Marie-Josée Hogue to lead it.

[10] This was followed by the launch of additional consultations on November 24, 2023, focusing on new criminal penalties and increased powers for the CSIS, both with an aim to combat foreign interference.

[11] On May 6, 2024, Public Safety and Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc tabled Bill C-70, the Countering Foreign Interference Act.

[1] In a letter to LeBlanc, Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong offered his party's help in expediting the bill so it may be enacted before the 2025 federal election.

The legislation is universal in scope and does not draw a distinction between friendly and unfriendly states, though the government is given the regulatory power to exempt certain types of activities in specified circumstances.