One of the things our government has done, which preceding governments have not done, is specifically ask, in the context of an election, for example, for representatives of the recognized parties to be security cleared during the context of an election, so they are in a position to receive classified briefings from intelligence officials about potential threats during the context of a writ period.
We believe that should be an ongoing process, where intelligence officials in a non-partisan way can share appropriate information with political parties, so they can, in fact, be more resilient, and better prepared to counter threats of foreign interference in their democratic institutions.
The same thing would apply to the leader of a political party. It's well-known in the public domain that certain hostile state actors target parliamentarians, not only in our House but in the other place, as well. I am briefed regularly on these threats. I have a lot of confidence in the work done by the RCMP and CSIS.
A political leader who wants to be able to say to Canadians that he or she is confident that his or her political party, candidates and caucus, are the best persons to represent that party in an election or in the House of Commons, and that he or she has taken all the steps necessary to insulate, and protect them from the threat of foreign interference, would be well-advised to get that clearance.
For example, the leaders of the NDP, Bloc Québécois, and Green Party have received that clearance. It allows CSIS officials, in their judgment, to talk to these political leaders, so they can be best positioned to resist any particular threat.