In my opinion, Bill C-44 has an impact on privacy, in that it directly gives CSIS an extraterritorial mandate. That implies that information is being shared between the secret services and certain foreign agencies. That sharing of information is an issue that affects privacy very directly. That is where my concerns lie.
Obviously, CSIS already receives independent oversight from an agency called SIRC. However, as I'm sure you know, recommendations have been made about this. Particularly in the Arar case, Justice O'Connor highlighted the shortcomings in Canada's independent oversight mechanisms. He recommended that all government agencies involved in national security be subject to independent oversight, much like CSIS.
I would add that Bill C-44 deals with CSIS's mandate and, indirectly, the sharing of information by CSIS. However, it is important to know that the information obtained by CSIS is then shared with some federal organizations, which may not be subject to independent oversight. That is the case with the Canada Border Services Agency, for example. It is this lack of oversight by independent agencies that is worrisome.