QUESTION PERIOD — Public Safety
Foreign Interference
October 22, 2024
Leader, when the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, CSIS, wants a surveillance warrant, it needs the approval of the Minister of Public Safety.
Normally, such a CSIS warrant is authorized quickly, within four to 10 days. However, we learned last week that, in 2021, it took former minister Bill Blair 54 days, or almost two months, to approve a warrant request from CSIS, even though the warrant was being sought to investigate Chinese interference in Canada.
Leader, how do you explain the fact that the former public safety minister dragged his feet like this on a file that was in Canada’s best interests?
Thank you for the question. Minister Blair and his staff have already clearly answered that question. They said that the request wasn’t brought to the minister’s attention as it should have. That is the explanation.
Normally, as you know, it doesn’t take nearly that long and approvals are given within an appropriate amount of time. However, there was a bit of a hiccup in this case, which is quite unfortunate.
Leader, is it possible that it took so long to authorize this warrant for surveillance because the person targeted by the warrant was a former Liberal minister from the Ontario government, Michael Chan, who was suspected of using his position of influence in the Liberal Party of Ontario and his federal cousin in Ottawa to promote the interests of China?
That type of speculation is not surprising given the way you’re collectively performing your duties here in the Senate. In any case, I can’t respond to such an insinuation. I don’t want to and will not do so.
