Senator Henkel: Good afternoon, Mr. Boegman.

The registry is intended to ensure transparency in activities carried out on behalf of foreign governments. These days, however, interference often occurs through relational influence approaches, such as university partnerships, cultural funding, strategic philanthropy or a network of diasporas that don’t always have a formal mandate. How would you handle these grey areas without stigmatizing communities or curbing legitimate exchanges?

Mr. Boegman: Thank you for the question. I will try to answer in French. It’s a good opportunity for me to practise, since I don’t use French every day. Living in B.C. for the past 30 years, I’ve had the opportunity to speak with my son, who was in French immersion at school, and use apps like Duolingo and Babbel.

Senator Henkel: Allow me to assure you that you speak French very well.

Mr. Boegman: Thank you.

I think it’s very important to understand the grey areas and the nuances of the relational influence you talked about.

I think it’s possible to have exceptions in the rules for some types of activities that aren’t foreign influence operations. I think it’s important to develop relationships with academics and groups —

The Chair: Thank you, Mr. Boegman.