Have CSIS leaders lost control of the spy agency?

OTTAWA—A euphemistic line separates politicians and professional public servants. The leaks coming out of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service suggest this line has been breached and that CSIS upper management has potentially lost control of the spy agency. Public servants in Canada serve the government in confidence. They may argue against a policy being proposed by their political masters. In fact, it is their duty to speak truth to power. But once a political decision is made, they are morally and legally obliged to implement it without prejudice. They must, at all times, remain publicly silent. It is rule No. 1 of being a good public servant. This ethic has been lost on the spies at CSIS. The steady stream of leaks aside, the nature of these disclosures is bone-chillingly frightening. The latest being that CSIS urged the Liberal Party to rescind MP Han Dong’s nomination ahead of the 2019 federal election for allegedly being a stooge of the Chinese government. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has denied security officials made that recommendation. Even if that were true—for which no tangible proof has been provided—it is not up to CSIS to pre-select candidates seeking political office in Canada. That decision rests with the voters. Bhagwant Sandhu is a Canadian foreign policy commentator and author. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade Which brings us back to the senior managers at CSIS. Where are they? Where is the clerk of the Privy Council, who heads up the federal public service? Why have they not issued a public statement? Should they not reassure us that Canadian democracy and public institutions are safe-guarded with due process and management controls? Who is doing the leaking? Why haven't they stopped? Foreign interference in elections is unsavory, but it is not illegal in Canada. Stephanie Carvin, associate professor of national security at Carleton University, reminds us that no one has been charged for influencing Canadian elections on behalf of a foreign state, not under the Canada Elections Act or any other statute. Instead of running to the media, CSIS could be educating political parties and the public with briefings and information materials. Their current library of publications on foreign interference is rudimentary. It is not instructive. CSIS could even make a case for the government to implement background checks and security clearances for all federal political candidates. We do it for MPs considered for ministerial appointments; why not extend the practice more broadly? That would snuff out the moles, for sure. Sometimes government agencies will leak information to get political attention and resources. Although unlikely, the timing of the CSIS leaks would support this thesis. By all accounts, the next federal budget will put an end to the era of Liberal spending sprees. What better way to guarantee a lion’s share of the budget than to hype up hysteria? There is already talk about a full-blown public inquiry, which would produce recommendations. Imagine the cash and resources that will need to flow support for CSIS then. This is not to say that all unauthorized disclosures are bad. A good leak can shine the light on fraud, the misappropriation of public monies, or the risks to public health and safety. Peppering the front pages of national newspapers or headlining newscasts with words like “alleged” or “allegedly” is not good leaking. They are bad leaks, malicious in intent, and a danger to Canadian democracy. Bad leaks try to steer government policy in a direction the leakers prefer. Those doing the leaking may believe they, not our elected representatives, know what’s best for us. The assumption they make is that we are mindless gophers, easily swayed by foreign governments. The fact is, no matter how much influence China or anyone else may exert, our system of voting in Canada is via secret ballot. In the privacy of the voting booth, we decide who we will elect. This nuance has been lost on the leakers at CSIS. If the Liberal government cannot curb these leaks, maybe the Conservatives should. When they were in power, the Conservatives had a great track record on getting tough on those who share secret information. On May 9, 2007, then-environment minister John Baird noted quite responsibly that “it is always a concern when someone anonymously and in an unauthorized basis releases information.” He said that as the RCMP was removing a handcuffed staffer arrested for leaking the Conservative plans to address climate change. Under provisions of sections 12 and 13, the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act allows federal public servants to bring matters of criminality or wrongdoing, in confidence and without fear of reprisals, to the attention of their senior management or the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner. The act was put in place to enhance public confidence in the integrity of public servants and public sector organizations. There is one kicker: the act does not apply to CSIS. It has Section 52 instead, which requires CSIS to establish policies comparable to those in the act. Maybe the managers at CSIS have implemented these policies, and we will soon see the results. Either way, the onus is on CSIS senior management to comfort us that they have things under control at the spy agency and that it’s not being run by rogue elements. The bogeyman today is China, tomorrow it could be India or Israel. Or, more likely, far-right international interests like the German politician Christine Anderson. She toured Canada recently and posed for pictures with Canadian Conservative MPs and others who wanted to overthrow the Trudeau government last winter. We need not worry, however; CSIS director David Vigneault assured us the so-called Freedom Convoy posed no threat to national security, “at no time.” Fortunately, his advice was ignored. Bhagwant Sandhu is a Canadian foreign policy commentator and author. He retired as director general from the federal public service. The Hill Times

Have CSIS leaders lost control of the spy agency?

Given the number of leaks, the onus is on CSIS senior management to comfort us that they have things under control at the spy agency and that it’s not being run by rogue elements.

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Have CSIS leaders lost control of the spy agency?

Given the number of leaks, the onus is on CSIS senior management to comfort us that they have things under control at the spy agency and that it’s not being run by rogue elements.

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