Special Report on the Collection, Use, Retention and Dissemination of Information on Canadians in the context of the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces Defence Intelligence Activities

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2020
All rights reserved.
Ottawa, ON.

The National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians

Special Report on the Collection, Use, Retention and Dissemination of Information on Canadians in the context of the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces Defence Intelligence Activities (Revised version pursuant to subsection 21(5) of the NSICOP Act)
CP104-2/2020E (Print)
ISBN 978-0-660-33057-0 (Print)

CP104-2/2020E-PDF
ISBN 978-0-660-33056-3 (Online)

The Honourable David McGuinty, P.C., M.P.
Chair

Submitted to the Prime Minister on August 30, 2019
Revised version tabled in Parliament in March 2020

Revisions

Consistent with subsection 21(2) of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians Act (NSICOP Act), the Committee may submit a special report to the Prime Minister and the minister concerned on any matter related to its mandate. Consistent with subsection 21(5) of the NSICOP Act, the Prime Minister may, after consulting the Chair of the Committee, direct the Committee to submit to him or her a revised version of the special report that does not contain information the Prime Minister believes the disclosure of which would be injurious to national security, national defence or international relations or is information that is protected by solicitor-client privilege.

This document is a revised version of the Special Report provided to the Prime Minister on 30 August 2019. Revisions were made to remove information the disclosure of which the Prime Minister believes would be injurious to national security, national defence or international relations, or which constitutes solicitor-client privilege. Where information could simply be removed without affecting the readability of the document, the Committee noted the removal with three asterisks (***) in the text of this document. Where information could not simply be removed without affecting the readability of the document, the Committee revised the document to summarize the information that was removed. Those sections are marked with three asterisks at the beginning and the end of the summary, and the summary is enclosed by square brackets (see example below).

Example: [*** Revised sections are marked with three asterisks at the beginning and the end of the sentence, and the summary is enclosed by square brackets.***]

The Special Report includes the August 30, 2019 letter from the Chair of NSICOP to the Minister of National Defence. This letter was originally classified as SECRET//CEO as the attached report was classified at that time.

The National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians

  • The Hon. David McGuinty, P.C., M.P. (Chair)
  • The Hon. Percy Downe, Senator
  • Mr. Emmanuel Dubourg, M.P.
  • The Hon. Diane Finley, P.C., M.P.
  • The Hon. Hedy Fry, P.C., M.P.
  • Ms. Gudie Hutchings, M.P.
  • The Hon. Frances Lankin, P.C., C.M., Senator
  • The Hon. Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P.
  • Mr. Murray Rankin, M.P. (resigned August 1, 2019)
  • Ms. Brenda Shanahan, M.P.
  • The Hon. Vernon White, Senator

March 9, 2020

The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P.
Prime Minister of Canada
Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council
Ottawa, ON
KlA 0A2

Dear Prime Minister,

On behalf of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, it is my pleasure to present you with our Special Report on the Collection, Use, Retention and Dissemination of Information on Canadians in the context of the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces Intelligence Activities. The unanimous Report includes four findings, one of which was entirely redacted, and three recommendations to clarify and improve the governance of this important and sensitive activity.

Consistent with subsection 21(5) of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians Act, the Special Report was revised to remove information the disclosure of which would be injurious to national security, national defence or international relations, or is information subject to solicitorclient privilege.

Yours sincerely,

signature of David J. McGuinty

The Honourable David McGuinty, P.C., M.P.
Chair

National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians

August 30, 2019

The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, P.C., M.P.
Minister of National Defence
101 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa, ON
KlA 0A2

Dear Minister,

Pursuant to subsection 21(2) of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians Act, I am pleased to submit to you the Committee's Special Report on the collection, use, retention and dissemination of information on Canadians by the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces in the conduct of defence intelligence activities. The Special Report includes four findings and three recommendations. A copy of this Special Report has also been provided to the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P., Prime Minister of Canada.

Please be advised that I have also written to the Attorney General, as required under section 31(1) of the NSICOP Act, to inform him of one of the Committee's findings regarding the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces' non-compliance with the Privacy Act.

Yours sincerely,

signature of David J. McGuinty

The Honourable David McGuinty, P.C., M.P.
Chair

Enclosure

Table of Contents