Thank you, Chair.
Thank you both for being here. It's interesting, given the comment that was just made about incidental information, because there's incidental information, there's the publicly available information, and there's this notion that there's clearly an intent in the legislation to expand the powers for this new threat that's being described, but when we ask the chief of CSE to explain why those powers would be used, there's no example that's able to be provided.
This question is for you, Ms. Vonn. I want to understand, because there's a link here. One of the answers that was given to me when these officials were before the committee was, “Don't worry. If you look at part 3 of the bill, in proposed section 25, they have to ensure measures are in place to protect the privacy of Canadians", but that's a very vague notion, because it then goes on to say, “of Canadians and persons in Canada in the use, analysis, retention and disclosure of...” and then goes on to describe the information.
The use of the word “disclosure” is particularly troubling, because that's how the government has rebranded the information sharing that was created under former Bill C-51. I'm wondering if there's some concern about that information. It's seemingly for research and other innocuous purposes by CSE, but it can nonetheless be shared, and I'm wondering if there's some concern about what consequences there might be, in particular if it's being shared with Five Eyes allies, when we see examples like what was reported in La Presse at the end of last week about the RCMP acquiring information on Canadians from the DEA without the proper judicial oversight that would normally be involved if they were doing it here in Canada.
With that very broad portrait I've painted, I just want to understand, because I think a lot of people don't quite understand how maintaining, even with a cosmetic change, information sharing as was brought in by the former Bill C-51has an impact on how these new powers of CSE are going to potentially play out.