Spies use C-51 to gather intelligence from Canadians detained overseas
OTTAWA — Canada’s spy agency is using controversial powers under the C-51 anti-terrorism legislation to gather intelligence from Canadians held in foreign prisons, a newly released memo reveals.
Amnesty International Canada and the NDP are expressing concerns about the potential pitfalls of the previously unknown information-sharing arrangement between the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and Global Affairs Canada.
In the House of Commons, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale stopped short of defending the arrangement Monday, saying a federal national security review would ensure the government’s approach is consistent with “what Canadians want.”
The spy service and Global Affairs made the sharing deal this year through the Security of Canada Information Sharing Act — part of the omnibus security legislation known as C-51, says a secret May memo to Goodale from CSIS director Michel Coulombe.