HILL QUESTIONS ABSENCE OF CSIS AMENDMENT IN ANTI-TERRORISM BILL

October 17, 2001

OTTAWA-Yesterday, during a speech to the House of Commons on Bill C-36, the Anti-Terrorism Act, PC DR Coalition Solicitor General Critic Jay Hill expressed his support for the Bill but also raised concern as to why the fails to include and amendment to the current Canadian Security and Intelligence Service mandate.  

“What I find surprising in the “amendments to other acts” section is that there is no amendment to the Canadian Security And Intelligence Service Act that would broaden the mandate of CSIS to include conducting international and covert information gathering operations as part of its normal operations. I question how it is that we are going to participate in the international fight against terrorism without giving our intelligence service an international mandate.”  

At present, the CSIS mandate allows the agency to gather information on any threat to Canada, but does not permit it to conduct covert operations in foreign countries. Hill suggested that this may be an areas for consideration when the Bill is sent to the Committee on Justice and Human Rights for detailed examination. 

“It would seem to me that this is a question that should be considered by the Committee once the bill has been referred to it.” stated Hill. 

Hill concluded his remarks to the House with “I hope that the introduction of this Bill represents the beginning of the government’s fight against the threat of international terrorism and not the end. There is much work to be done if we are to rid ourselves of this evil and providing that we are given the opportunity participate, through debates and information briefings, I am certain that the government will find itself with all the support that it needs during these challenging times.”