Her filing discloses a teaching engagement for the United States Department of State, and her registry listing shows an arrangement with that department. The activity is described as education and leadership development events hosted by the US State Department in Thailand and Taiwan for US officials and invited foreign officials. The arrangement is listed as active from September 5, 2026 to September 24, 2026.
What the registry requires
Canada's foreign influence registry began accepting registrations on August 4, 2026, part of a push for transparency around people in Canada who work on behalf of, or under arrangement with, foreign governments. Garbers' entry is one of only a couple currently visible on the live public database. The other is Gerald Chipeur, a Calgary lawyer who serves as honorary consul for the Republic of Korea in Alberta.
A technical failure hid a third filing
The registry ran into trouble on September 15, 2026, when a technical failure meant information failed to transfer properly from submission forms into the public database, making some filings temporarily unavailable. That withheld filing disclosed compensation of 4,000 Chinese yuan, about $823, for an arrangement with CGTN Français running from August 5 to August 13.
Why it matters in Ottawa
The registry exists to catch exactly this kind of arrangement, a former senior federal official taking on paid work connected to a foreign government, before it raises questions about access or influence.
What's known and what isn't
The registry does not say what Garbers' role at National Defence was or when she left the department, only that she is a former senior official. Nor is it yet known whether the technical failure that hid the CGTN Français filing affected any other pending registrations beyond the one identified. Those details have not been made public.
Sources: The Bureau, Canada.ca (Office of the Foreign Influence Commissioner)
