Parliamentary Committee Notes: Opening Remarks
Speaking Notes for The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs
Good morning, Honourable Chair and Committee Members.
I appreciate this invitation to be here today.
Canadian research is at the forefront of discovery and today’s work is driving solutions to humanity’s most pressing challenges.
Our country’s research is defined by its excellence and collaborative nature. Unfortunately, it is this very openness and collaboration with international partners that can make Canada a target for foreign influence.
There is no question that foreign state actors are actively targeting Canadian academic and research institutions, as well as public and private organizations, to collect sensitive personal data, scientific knowledge, and gain access to technology.
The Government of Canada takes the issue of safeguarding Canada’s research enterprise very seriously. To that end, we implemented a number of initiatives in the last couple of years to encourage a research environment that is as open and collaborative as possible, and as safeguarded as necessary.
Budget 2022 announced the creation of the Research Security Centre at Public Safety. With advisors located across Canada, the Centre is the first point of contact for Canadian researchers and universities who need support safeguarding their research.
That is also why the Government implemented in 2021 the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships, which assess all academic research partnerships, with any private partner or funder, to help protect their work from national security concerns.
Moreover, in January of this year, we announced new eligibility criteria for grants from our federal granting agencies and the Canada Foundation for Innovation, through the new Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern.
These new rules prohibit funding for research proposals when any of the researchers are affiliated with – or in receipt of funding or in-kind contributions – from a university, research institute or laboratory on the list of Named Research Organizations.
When reading the publicly-released documents on the Winnipeg lab, it’s clear that elements from a Chinese-sponsored recruitment program were involved.
It is well known that such programs are one way that China seeks to incentivize academics to participate in activities that exploit advancements in Canadian technologies.
Through these programs , China’s goals are to improve its military and intelligence capabilities, as well as their economic competitiveness – all at the expense of Canada’s national interests.
The research security initiatives which we’ve undertaken in recent years are aimed at stemming these sorts of foreign initiatives, by arming Canadian research and researchers with risk awareness, tools for risk mitigation, and by removing their work from the cycle of foreign interference.
With respect to the two individuals who were employed at the Winnipeg Lab, they are currently under investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
As this investigation is ongoing, I am unable to comment further on the specifics at this time.
I will say that national Security criminal investigations are often complex, multijurisdictional, and resource-intensive and can take several years to complete.
Today, I wish to assure honourable members that the Government of Canada remains firmly committed to combatting foreign interference in all its forms.
While the RCMP and CSIS have mandates to address and investigate foreign threats to our security, the Government also has many other tools to help combat foreign interference.
Among these tools, the Government of Canada:
- Conducts robust national security reviews of foreign investments that may threaten Canada’s national security;
- Engages with private companies, researchers and the health sector to inform them of the threats and to help them better understand how to protect their work;
- Helps critical infrastructure operators defend critical cyber security systems that Canadians rely on;
- Provides mechanisms for the public to report threats through CSIS and RCMP websites and national security threat phone lines;
- Engages with communities at risk in Canada to help them better protect themselves against foreign threats;
- Coordinates and shares information with Five Eyes, and other allies, such as G7 and NATO on foreign interference and other threats;
- We also adopt a holistic approach to protecting Canada’s democratic institutions and practices from interference, as exemplified by the Plan to Protect Canada’s Democracy. This includes initiatives such as the Critical Election Incident Public Protocol, the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (SITE) Task Force, and classified threat briefings to key political party personnel with the required security clearance.
Mr. Chair, the Government recognizes that the threat of foreign interference is not static, and that we must continue to develop our toolkit to confront this evolving threat.
That is why the Government of Canada also continues to make significant investments, to further bolster its ability to counter foreign interference:
- Budget 2023 proposed $13.5 million over five years to Public Safety Canada to establish a National Counter-Foreign Interference Office, as well as $48.9 million over three years to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to protect Canadians from harassment and intimidation by foreign actors, to increase its investigative capacity, and to more proactively engage with communities at greater risk of being targeted.
- In March 2023, the Government also re-affirmed the allocation of $10 million over five years to the Protecting Democracy Unit, housed at the Privy Council Office.
- These investments build on Budget 2022, where the Government committed $13.4 million to renew and expand the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism over the next five years, to address foreign threats to democracy.
- In addition, the Government of Canada conducted public and stakeholder consultations to guide the creation of a Foreign Influence Transparency Registry.
- Finally, in November 2023, the Government of Canada also launched public consultations on potential amendments to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act, the Criminal Code, the Security of Information Act and the Canada Evidence Act.
Mr. Chair, the Government of Canada has taken significant steps to protect our country, our institutions and our intellectual property from all those who pose a risk to our national security, including foreign state actors, their proxies and non-traditional intelligence collectors.
Mr. Chair, through all of these actions, the Government aims to protect our citizens and communities, safeguard our democratic institutions, and promote economic security all while ensuring transparency and respect for the rule of law.
In closing, the Government’s first and foremost priority will always be to keep Canadians and our communities safe.
Thank you.
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