Thank you, Mr. Chair.
This amendment is one that was recommended by Professors Forcese and Roach. This is in relation to recommendations that have been received by the Security Intelligence Review Committee.
The recommendation I want to quote from is from Professors Forcese and Roach:
The most problematic part of paragraph 2(b) is the phrase 'detrimental to the interests of Canada'. It is not found in any other Canadian enactment. It is almost wholly subjective: no criteria are provided to offer any standard for determining what is 'detrimental'...this is hardly the kind of broad discretion that Parliament wished to grant to a security service which was required to maintain the principle of a 'delicate balance' between the need to acquire information and an individual's right to privacy.
The precise meaning of the term “clandestine” is not certain and merely secret activities could be interpreted as clandestine.
They concluded that “Although this formulation of paragraph 2(b) is narrower, we believe that it will provide an adequate mandate for the Service.” This is where I'm going, in making this recommendation to amend the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act by suggesting that “foreign directed activities within or directly relating to Canada that are detrimental to the interests of Canada and are surreptitious or deceptive or involve a serious threat to any person”.
Thank you.