Karen McCrimmon

[Taxation, June 6th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Montcalm for his question.

First, I want to assure the House that our government is working with Canadians to make sure that federally regulated aerodrome building projects take into account public safety and interest.

In March 2016, in order to make sure that the new aerodrome in Mascouche-Terrebonne was secure and in the public interest, the Minister of Transport issued a ministerial order to put the construction of the aerodrome on hold while the proponent, the Corporation de l'aéroport de Mascouche, held new public consultations.

We are aware of the concerns that the building of new aerodromes in Canada can create. That is in part what motivated the Minister of Transport to bring in additional regulatory changes to enable Canadians to voice their concerns. We examine thoroughly all the documentation and the arguments that are submitted over the course of the consultation process.

Members can be assured that Transport Canada will continue to work with provincial authorities and the aerospace industry to maintain the safety and security of the transportation network for all Canadians.

As for this project's compliance with the provincial Environment Quality Act, I am sure my colleague will understand that I cannot comment on that, since the matter is currently before the Quebec Court of Appeal.

[Rail Transportation, June 2nd, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.

As mandated by the Prime Minister, we are improving rail safety. That is our top priority. We remain committed to reducing the number of accidents and incidents on the Canadian rail network and at federally regulated crossings.

There are new technologies that have proven to be effective. We are investing more than $55 million across the country through the new rail safety improvement program.

[Business of Supply, May 29th, 2017]

Mr. Chair, I mentioned that CSE helps protect the Canadian Armed Forces in their international operations. I wonder if the parliamentary secretary could describe the spending in the main estimates for 2017-18.

[Business of Supply, May 29th, 2017]

Mr. Chair, I mentioned in my speech that Canada's democratic processes and the ways in which Canada chooses our politicians are attractive targets for nation-states and non-state actors seeking to influence us.

Recently, we have seen evidence of election campaign hacking, from targeted hacks against the U.S. Democratic National Committee to attempted hacks against a French presidential candidate. These hackings raise serious questions about the threat of foreign interference and the integrity of election systems.

Can the parliamentary secretary tell me, given the risk of similar hacks in Canada, what measures is CSE taking to defend the Canadian electoral process from cyber threats?

[Business of Supply, May 29th, 2017]

Mr. Chair, I will be speaking for 10 minutes and then I will follow with questions.

I am very pleased to have this opportunity to speak about the Communications Security Establishment, known as CSE, one of Canada's critical security and intelligence organizations within the national defence portfolio. With estimates of $599 million for the last fiscal year and approximately 2,300 highly-skilled staff, the contribution CSE provides to the security, stability, and prosperity of the country cannot be underestimated.

While it is not a household name, CSE has a long and proud history. Indeed, over the course of the year, CSE has been celebrating its 70th anniversary.

CSE’s mission is derived from the authorities enshrined within its three-part mandate in the National Defence Act. First, CSE is Canada’s national signals intelligence agency. It serves the national interest by providing foreign intelligence in accordance with the government’s intelligence priorities.

I want to emphasize that what CSE does is foreign intelligence. By law, it cannot direct its activities at Canadians or anyone in Canada. In terms of results, CSE's intelligence helps to uncover foreign-based extremists' efforts to attract, radicalize, and train individuals to carry out attacks in Canada and around the world. CSE's foreign intelligence informs Canada's government decision-making in the fields of national security, defence, and international affairs.

The second part of CSE’s mandate is cyber defence and protection. CSE provides advice, guidance and services to help ensure the protection of electronic information and information infrastructure of importance to the Government of Canada.

CSE's sophisticated cyber and technical expertise helps identify, prepare for, and respond to the most severe cyber threats and attacks against computer networks and systems, and the important information they contain. It helps to protect Government of Canada systems from foreign states, hackers, terrorists, and criminals. It tracks cyber threats from around the world and it works with government departments to defend and strengthen systems that have been compromised. Finally, CSE helps protect sensitive information held by the government, including the personal information of Canadians, from theft.

The third part of CSE’s mandate is to provide technical and operational assistance to federal law enforcement and security agencies in the performance of their lawful duties. Under the assistance mandate, those capabilities may be used to assist a Canadian law enforcement or security agency, under the requesting agency’s legal authority.

The principles of lawfulness and privacy are critical to the work of CSE. As they work to protect Canadians against threats, CSE knows that they have a responsibility to protect privacy and they take that responsibility very seriously. Protecting Canadian privacy is not an afterthought. It is a fundamental part of the organizational culture and is embedded within CSE's operational structures, policies, and processes.

Security and intelligence agencies have capabilities and powers bestowed upon them in order to maintain the security of our country. They also have the important responsibility to protect Canadians' rights and freedoms. In order to uphold the trust and confidence that Canadians have in their government and in their security and intelligence agencies and departments, this government has introduced legislation to establish the national security and intelligence committee of parliamentarians. The creation of this committee is part of our demonstrated commitment to openness and transparency. CSE will support and fully co-operate with this committee in its important work.

In today's dynamic security environment, CSE's efforts to protect Canada and Canadians against threats are more critical than ever. We were all sadly reminded of these threats just last week, when people simply enjoying a concert, many of them children and teenagers, were tragically killed in a horrible attack in Manchester, England.

CSE is working to help its allied partners to gain further insight into this act of terror, and to help prevent future similar acts. The threats are not limited to terrorism. Across this country, and indeed around the world, governments and citizens are relying on continuously evolving technology to communicate, to work, and to live.

We expect to be able to interact with our government in the digital world and we want to access government services online. In the face of the cyber revolution, CSE is focused on improving the government's cyber defences by building specialized cyber tools and developing resilience within our systems. We are better positioned to resist and protect ourselves against cyber threats than ever before. However, as new and sophisticated communications technologies emerge, we face the challenges of an interconnected world.

Just two weeks ago, we saw the impact of a ransomware attack that took critical services offline around the world. This is the world in which CSE works diligently to protect Canada. In responding to this threat, CSE has proven itself to be an innovative leader and a trusted partner.

Because of its sophisticated understanding of the cyberworld, CSE was asked by the Minister of Democratic Institutions to assess the cyber threats that face Canada's democratic processes and to provide advice about best cyber practices to all political parties in the House. Trust in our democratic processes is essential for our democracy to work. Our democratic processes and the ways in which we choose our politicians are an attractive target for nation states and non-state actors seeking to influence our country. We asked CSE to provide this assessment in a publicly available format and we expect to deliver that report in the coming weeks.

CSE has, throughout its 70-year history, served this country proudly while adapting to enormous changes in technology and how people use it in the international security environment and the threat landscape. Today, cyber is clearly a part of that threat landscape. In responding to this threat, CSE has proven itself to be an innovative leader and a trusted partner.

In the past year, CSE has also taken several unprecedented steps to be more open and transparent about its work for the country, telling Canadians more about the work it does to protect their security, their personal information, their privacy, and their rights and freedoms

It has posted new content on its website about CSE's critical cyber defence work and launched an advertising campaign to recruit the next generation of cyber and intelligence experts. CSE is embracing an open approach to communicating with Canadians about the important work it does. While CSE continues to play an invaluable role in Canada's security, it is ready to support the important government initiatives on the national security, cybersecurity, and defence policy review fronts. The breadth and depth of knowledge and skill that CSE brings to the security and intelligence table is highly regarded and unique within government. As Canada's and Canadians' reliance upon connected technology increases, so too will the need for CSE.

I will now ask the parliamentary secretary some questions.

We know that CSE provides foreign intelligence to a number of government departments and agencies to keep Canada and Canadians safe and that CSE also works with other government departments to ensure that government communications are secure. To fulfill this mission, CSE has unique capabilities and powers, which it uses in accordance with its authorities. At the same time, Canadians value their privacy and expect security and intelligence agencies to protect it. Canadian law includes clear measures to protect the privacy of Canadians.

What are CSE's accountability measures and how does the organization ensure that the privacy of Canadians is protected while CSE carries out its mandated activities?

[The Environment, May 19th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, our government is delivering on our promise to formalize a crude oil tanker moratorium along the north coast of British Columbia. This will protect this incredible environment that coastal and indigenous communities call home, ensure clean water for our kids and grandkids.

Our proposed legislation would prohibit oil tankers carrying crude and persistent oils as cargo, from stopping, loading, unloading at ports, marinas and installations in northern British Columbia.

[Ottawa Senators Hockey Team, May 19th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, as all Canadians know, there are not four seasons in Canada, but five. We are now well into playoff hockey season, and communities across Canada are watching and cheering.

A lifelong fan of the Habs, also known as the Montreal Canadiens, our own Prime Minister has told us he is now cheering for the Ottawa Senators.

I am sure all of my colleagues will join with the Prime Minister in pledging their support to the Ottawa Senators as they continue their remarkable playoff run. Of course, I am very proud that the Senators call my riding of Kanata—Carleton their home.

As we celebrate the great tradition of playoff hockey in Canada, I call upon all members, and indeed all Canadians, to join me in saying to the Senators that we are all in.

All together: Go Sens go!

[The Environment, May 18th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, there is work to do, and our national oceans protection plan will provide that comprehensive plan to address abandoned, derelict, and wrecked vessels in Canadian waters. We will be introducing new legislation that puts the responsibility and liability on vessel owners to properly remove and dispose of their vessels. These are meaningful steps in the right direction to address this multifaceted issue.

[The Environment, May 18th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, our government has consulted extensively with indigenous groups, communities, and stakeholders to listen and gather input on the tanker moratorium. Since January 2016, we have held 75 engagement sessions to discuss improvements to marine safety and formalize the oil tanker moratorium. We are committed to continue working with indigenous peoples and stakeholders across the country to advance measures to enhance marine safety, protect the environment and communities, and support economic development.

[Public Safety, May 12th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to reassure Canadians that their safety and their security are ultimate priorities. We have robust protocols in place to protect them.

A few weeks ago, the minister asked the department to examine all the security protocols and to seek reassurances that the highest security levels were being respected. We have identified cases of security clearances being temporarily suspended at the conclusion of those security investigations.