Evidence of meeting #38 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was disinformation.
A video is available from Parliament.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bardish Chagger
Thank you, Mr. Kolga. I have to cut you off there.
You have some homework to do, because we need your answers in writing. Please send them to the committee clerk.
Next we go to Ms. O'Connell for two minutes.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
Jennifer O'Connell Liberal Pickering—Uxbridge, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you to my colleague.
I didn't have time in the last round, so I do want to get to Mr. Judd with my questions here.
I was actually familiar with your report when I was a member of NSICOP. Obviously, we can't discuss that here in this forum.
I just want to clarify, with respect to an earlier question, the mandate of your role. Can you explain further? It's my understanding that the reason the intelligence wouldn't have been provided to you was that the mandate of your role was to review the process. It's not about individual instances. You weren't auditing, let's say, the process the last time, but you were reviewing the process itself. In that, did you look at the pre-writ question of having this process in place for foreign interference activity during elections?
12:55 p.m.
Former Director, Canadian Security Intelligence Service, As an Individual
Thank you for clarifying what I meant to say earlier.
The issue of the writ is one that's always bothered me in this respect. Just to go back to what Mr. Kolga was saying, this is an infinite issue. An average election is 50 days. There are 315 other days in the year in which there can be all kinds of mischief, which can, in some fashion, have an impact on politics, but more importantly, I think, on broader social cohesion in this country and others.
1 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bardish Chagger
Thank you so much.
I would like to thank both of our guests for their time with us today. Please do not hesitate to share information through the clerk for committee members to consider. Just to clarify from earlier, if you ask the clerk not to share it publicly, the clerk will ensure that the information is available to members, but not to the public. If anything else can be made publicly available.... If you can just decipher that, we will ensure that it is managed and handled with the care you require.
With that, I wish you both a good day.
For committee members, we are returning to our constituencies next week for Veterans' Week. I hope you take time to think about how we are able to enjoy the freedoms we do today. We will return on November 15 to a subcommittee meeting, so all members will not need to be present, but subcommittee members will be present for Tuesday, November 15.
Throughout the constituency week, you will receive one if not both reports, and we will return on November 17 as a full committee in camera to look at the draft report.
I wish you the best. Keep well and safe.