Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada recognizes the need for political parties recognized in the House of Commons to have access to information that can help them protect themselves from threats and has undertaken a range of initiatives to contribute to this important objective.
As part of the plan to protect Canada's democracy, the Privy Council Office provides security clearances to representatives of political parties recognized in the House of Commons. These clearances give political party representatives the opportunity to attend briefings during pre-election and election periods, including recent by-election periods. The briefings, provided by the security and intelligence threats to elections, SITE, task force, range from unclassified to secret-level.
In addition to offering to sponsor clearances for representatives of political parties recognized in the House of Commons in the context of elections and by-elections, the Government of Canada also provides security clearances that allow parliamentarians and representatives of political parties recognized in the House of Commons to view documents intended for a readership beyond the government itself. This includes classified reports such as the independent special rapporteur's first report with its classified annex, which was published in May 2023, as well as the rapporteur's classified final report, completed in June 2023. Recently, Commissioner Hogue, who leads the public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada's federal elections and democratic processes, published her initial report in May 2024, which also contained a classified annex. The Privy Council Office is responsible for facilitating the necessary security clearances at the required level for those representatives from political parties recognized in the House of Commons who need to access these classified reports.
Another key component of the government’s commitment to meaningful engagement with parliamentarians on national security is reflected in the 2017 establishment of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, NSICOP. The committee's mandate includes reviewing the legislative, regulatory, policy, administrative, and financial framework for national security and intelligence. It also covers any activity related to national security or intelligence conducted by a government department, except for ongoing operations where the appropriate minister determines that a review would jeopardize national security. Additionally, NSICOP can examine any matter pertaining to national security or intelligence that is referred to it by a minister of the Crown. NSICOP comprises 10 parliamentarians who hold top secret-level clearances and are bound by the provisions of the Security of Information Act, which requires them to maintain strict secrecy. Currently, NSICOP consists of three members from the Liberal Party of Canada, two from the Conservative Party of Canada, one from the Bloc Québécois, one from the New Democratic Party, and three senators. These individuals play an important role in conducting independent reviews and providing oversight of national security and intelligence activities in Canada.
Additionally, the government has recently introduced Bill C-70, an act respecting countering foreign interference, which proposes to update existing laws to better equip the government to detect, disrupt, and protect against foreign interference threats. Amongst other measures, this legislation would enable broader disclosure of Canadian Security Intelligence Service, CSIS, information to key partners beyond the Government of Canada, with appropriate safeguards, to help partners build resiliency to threats.