Thank you, Chair, and thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today.
Since late last year this committee has been looking at foreign interference in Canada's elections, and I commend your commitment to this important issue. Ensuring that Canada's elections remain free and fair and Canadian is a critical part of keeping our democratic processes legitimate, credible and trustworthy.
I am here today to speak to my time as a member of the panel entrusted with administering the critical election incident public protocol, which is a role I occupied while I was deputy minister of public safety during the 2021 general election.
Madam Chair, before I begin, I wish to reiterate what has already been said in this committee by me and other witnesses in both 2019 and 2021. The panel concluded that foreign interference did not impact the integrity of the general election. However, we know that threats to democracies such as ours are real. To ensure Canada is in the best position to combat such threats, the government introduced its whole-of-society plan to protect Canada's democracy ahead of the 2019 general election. The critical election incident public protocol is a key initiative in this plan.
The protocol establishes a process by which Canadians are informed in the event of an incident or series of incidents that impact Canada's ability to have a free and fair election during the period that the caretaker convention is in effect. The protocol is administered by a panel of five senior public servants. The panel is entrusted with exercising significant judgment and draws on information and intelligence sources from within and outside the public service in determining whether an incident or series of incidents meet the threshold for public announcement. This determination would be made on a consensual basis.
The threshold for public announcement by the panel is high and is considered to be a last resort. It is a last resort since the protocol, and the threshold outlined in it, must be understood within the wider context of Canada's federal election security infrastructure. During election periods Canadian laws apply, and Canada's national security and law enforcement agencies continue to carry out their mandates. Elections Canada independently administers the Canada Elections Act, and the commissioner of Canada elections investigates and enforces breaches of the act. Political parties, candidates and media engage in democratic debate and are in a position to engage in fact-checking or bring to attention false narratives circulating in the media or online.
The protocol does not replace Canada's laws or national security agencies. The information the panel relies on to inform its discussions and deliberations can come from a variety of sources. In 2021, the panel received briefs from the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections Task Force, SITE, which consists of the Communications Security Establishment, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the rapid response mechanism at Global Affairs Canada.
It is important to understand that although the SITE task force comes together to brief the panel, the agencies may also directly inform an affected party of an incident. As this committee is aware, there is always a baseline threat of foreign interference occurring in Canada. Our national security agencies continually work to combat and address the threat to keep Canadians safe both outside and during the election period. The protocol is one of a larger system in place to protect Canada's elections, and it must be understood within this context.
Thank you, Madam Chair, for the opportunity to talk about the protocol and the role of the panel in the 2021 general election. I welcome your questions.
I would be happy to answer in English or French.
