Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee, for inviting us here today to discuss the Security of Canada Information Sharing Act and its implications for the RCMP and our commission.
In 2014, amendments to the RCMP Act resulted in the creation of the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission. While the previous RCMP Public Complaints Commission was largely reactive and driven by public complaints, the new commission has been given a broad mandate to oversee RCMP activities. The change most relevant to the question before this committee today is that the commission now has the ability to conduct systemic reviews of any RCMP activity to ensure it is being carried out in accordance with legislation, regulations, ministerial direction, or any policy, procedure, or guideline, without having a complaint from the public or linking it to member conduct.
With this new authority we are currently undertaking two such systemic reviews. The first, into workplace harassment within the RCMP, was initiated last year at the request of the Minister of Public Safety. The second, initiated by the commission chairperson, is into the RCMP's implementation of the relevant recommendations contained in the Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Maher Arar. The commission's review on the latter is examining the RCMP's national security framework, including policies, training, and operational files, to determine whether they are consistent with Justice O'Connor's recommendations.
Specifically, the commission’s review is examining six key areas: one, the centralization and coordination of RCMP national security activities; two, the RCMP’s use of border lookouts; three, the role of the RCMP when Canadians are detained abroad; four, training of RCMP members in national security operations; five, RCMP information sharing with foreign entities; and six, RCMP domestic information-sharing practices.
Regarding the domestic information sharing, the commission is currently examining the adequacy, appropriateness, sufficiency, and clarity of RCMP policies, procedures, and guidelines as they pertain to domestic co-operation with federal agencies and departments involved in national security investigations. The goal is to measure their consistency with Justice O’Connor’s recommendations, including screening information for relevance, reliability, accuracy, and privacy; the use of caveats; and that the RCMP is continuing to refine its policy of co-operating with other federal agencies or departments involved in national security investigations.
With regard to the Security of Canada Information Sharing Act, the commission is examining, as part of this ongoing review, what the RCMP has put in place to address its new information-sharing powers, such as record-keeping of disclosures under the act, and how that relates to Justice O’Connor’s recommendations. For example, Justice O’Connor’s report stressed that information-sharing agreements or arrangements pertaining to integrated national security operations should be reduced to writing. This is important, and the commission will be examining whether the RCMP adheres to this recommendation with respect to information sharing relating to the Security of Canada Information Sharing Act.
With that, we'd be happy to answer any questions.
Thank you.