Procedure and House Affairs Committee on March 15th, 2012

[Louis Bard]

It could be any e-mail sent to the parl.gc.ca site. Everything sent to us will be filtered and analyzed to make sure it's a valid e-mail.

When I say “reject”, it means it's a bad e-mail; it's not a valid e-mail. It's an attempt to corrupt or deny services, an e-mail that has no real value.

If we have any doubt about that e-mail, but there's no virus or anything, it will be delivered to you, and then we'll identify the level of spam. If we believe this could be spam, it's for the members to decide what to do with that e-mail.

That's the way things work.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Okay. I have a few more one-off questions.

Mr. Zimmer and then Mr. Garneau.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

This is more of a comment than what I said before.

This is a challenge to the public, I think, before buying into this sort of a situation where Anonymous is followed, or somehow supported. I would say the challenge to the public is.... I see it as a bigger issue. I don't just see it as a challenge to us as parliamentarians. I see it, as a Canadian, as more of a bullying issue in general. One of the comments made in the letter was,

How does it feel to have personal information about your family in the hands of the people you know nothing about, with no control over who disseminates it or how it will be used?

I see that as a Canadian threat, as opposed to just a parliamentarian threat. I would just challenge those, before buying into this sort of all or nothing, to start a Twitter account of your own and ask these questions directly, with your name listed. I'd be happy to answer any questions, as most of us will. I think this crosses all party lines. I don't think it's a partisan issue at all. I think the dialogue is there; we're open to it, so let's have it. Okay.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Thank you.

Monsieur Garneau, go ahead.

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

Thank you very much.

My one question I guess is based on my ignorance. Is there any gatekeeping done of any kind with respect to YouTube? Can anybody post anything and it is not monitored or checked to see whether it breaks the law in any way? Is there any discussion internationally about having those kinds of standards before something can be posted as a YouTube video? Or is it a wide-open wild west?

[Louis Bard]

Well, I have always been developing this environment with a concept of an open Parliament, open dialogue. As you are aware, there was a Speaker's decision two or three years ago about opening the members' permission, allowing downloading data, re-using our content.

I think your question is very valid, Mr. Zimmer. Members will have to find new ways to engage with constituents.

At the same time, because of all of that, never will I claim that I will try to analyze your e-mail, analyze what you're posting, analyze.... I'm not doing that. It has to become the members. We do not do any kind of surveillance that way.

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

The question was not specific to Parliament. It was just applicable to the whole planet, really. It was really more of a general nature--anybody out there, not Parliament specifically. Do you know whether checks are put in, or can anybody post anything they want?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

To YouTube specifically?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

On YouTube, yes.

[Louis Bard]

I think the answer to this is yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Yes.

Mr. Kerr and then Mr. Comartin, go ahead.

[Greg Kerr, Conservative, West Nova, NS]

Thank you very much.

It may have been covered, but I just want to clarify. BlackBerrys are a little different in some ways from computers. Are there special precautions or things we should be aware of in using BlackBerrys?

[Louis Bard]

I think the BlackBerry represents the highest security available for smart phones right now on Parliament Hill. There's no doubt it has achieved a high level of security certification, and therefore they are good tools to use. They were developed in support of our corporate infrastructure, and therefore they are very well integrated to the current House environment.

Also, we have allowed a very limited number of third-party applications, which also makes things quite secure. However, there are elements of the BlackBerry, like the cellular phone, the PIN-to-PIN messaging, that are totally outside the environments, and they are more exposed with this kind of environment. Therefore, again, always be conscious for which purpose you are using the equipment. It's always important. It is really a good tool to use. It protects you very well, right now.

[Greg Kerr, Conservative, West Nova, NS]

Okay. Just one clarification. You were saying that PIN is less secure than the regular e-mail contact?

[Louis Bard]

Yes.

[Greg Kerr, Conservative, West Nova, NS]

Thank you.

[Louis Bard]

Absolutely, because with PIN-to-PIN I'm talking to you; therefore, there's no network. It's just radio waves, and the security is just you and me. We're talking to each other, that's the security level. But the rest is not.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Thank you.

Mr. Comartin, to finish this off.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

This is a bit offside, Ms. O'Brien, but there's a debate going on currently, specifically because of what happened in this case, of limiting or prohibiting the access to court files in matrimonial matters. I think that's being seen in the legal community generally as a provincial responsibility because of the responsibility of the provinces to administer justice.

However, there is a federal component. If we were to amend, for instance, either the Divorce Act or the Canada Evidence Act to prohibit access to the files to the general public, I want to say I'm not in favour of that. But I'm asking whether you're aware of whether the law clerk has been asked for an opinion on that matter.

[Audrey O'Brien]

To my knowledge, the law clerk has not been asked for an opinion on that matter, no.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Thank you.

One last little question, for Mr. Albrecht, please.

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Bard, for underlining the security of the BlackBerry system. You clarified that the PIN is less secure. Is that equally true of the BlackBerry Messenger, or are those identical...?

[Louis Bard]

Absolutely.

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Okay. So both of those are less secure than an e-mail through our personal accounts.