Procedure and House Affairs committee  Certainly, it can use threat reduction measures, which is what they are formally called, to go and speak to an individual. It can also speak to the person being targeted.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Again, if it is not in keeping with the Canadian law, yes.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Again, that intelligence would likely not be made public, for the reasons I have cited previously, but the discussion about foreign interference and the attempts at foreign interference to affect the election have been discussed publicly.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  That report was in the media. Of course, the intelligence that backs it up is more complex than is probably evident in the single clip or piece of that report that has been revealed in the media. If there is a concern about criminal activity, the RCMP receives the intelligence.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  There are many ways that CSIS could refer information. It works very closely with the RCMP, and there are a number of mechanisms to ensure that the RCMP receives intelligence for its own purposes when CSIS has a complete enough picture to refer it to the RCMP.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  There's a lot of process before charges are laid, but yes. If charges were laid and if there were an investigation, yes.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I can't say that would be an illegal activity. I would have to have more information, and certainly I'm not the arbiter of what's illegal.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  In a simple world, the answer is yes. However, one single piece of intelligence, depending on how credible the intelligence is, multiple source reporting.... There's a lot that goes into the translation of intelligence into evidence. It is a critical problem. Often, the information that CSIS obtains can't be used for a criminal investigation because it is not evidence.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I think certainly it would be, if it were covert.... As an example, diplomats around the world have lists of politicians who are friendly to Canada. We do the same thing. When it becomes covert, not overt, not diplomacy but behind-the-scenes machinations and perhaps malevolent, yes—

Procedure and House Affairs committee  There is a range of briefings, but—

Procedure and House Affairs committee  No, in fact I did not receive a transition book from my predecessor. However, I had individual meetings with all the heads of the security agencies and my colleague deputy ministers.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I've read a significant amount of intelligence about foreign interference in Canada, and some of the information I've read is dated 2018 or 2019.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I did not share information with the Prime Minister independently on incidents that occurred before I was here in this job.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I'm not going to reveal what I have discussed with the Prime Minister. We have had very detailed and thorough conversations on foreign interference.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  There is a range of people. Certainly there are people on his immediate staff, members of the national security community and often the Clerk of the Privy Council.