The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA) describes itself as Canada’s independent expert review body for all national security and intelligence activities across all federal departments and agencies, and informs Parliament and Canadians as to their lawfulness.

It is mandated to conduct reviews of Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the Communications Security Establishment (CSE), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Department of National Defence (DND), Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the Department of Justice, and others.

A new NSIRA report took issue with the way the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has been using additional powers the service was granted eight years ago by the federal government. Powers that expanded the spy agency’s area of operation from information gathering to actively prevent an activity they “suspect” would occur; an act of terror for instance.

The report said that in applying their new powers CSIS cared little, if at all, about the damage it did to families and people they chose to investigate.

Since 1984, when it was formed, Canada’s version of the American CIA has been found to have abused its power. CSIS took aim at racial and religious minorities, labour, anti-war activists, refugees, Muslims etc, justifying their “surveillance” by exaggerating the threats these people posed.

Three years ago Federal Judge Patrick Gleeson was severe in his criticism of CSIS accusing the agency of lying to the court to obtain a warrant to investigate “Islamist Terrorism”. Gleeson accused them of a cavalier disregard for the rule of law and for breaching the Canadian constitution.

Gleeson wrote that “a comprehensive external review be initiated to fully identify systemic, governance and cultural shortcomings and failures that resulted in the Canadian Security Intelligence Service engaging in operational activity that it has conceded was illegal and the resultant breach of candour.”

For us “out here” looking at CSIS “in there”, it all paints a fearful picture of spooks who operate in total secret, protected by law, and overseen by bureaucrats and politicians who themselves know the value of hoarding information as the basis of much coveted political power. 

It is one thing to know this organization has to operate in the shadows in order for what it and the government(s) say serve to protect us all from the evil that lurks in the dark recesses of life.

For providing that service, CSIS is allowed to surveille every aspect of a person’s life, collect information on every intimate detail, share it with other agencies, both here and abroad, cause havoc in one’s life without that person ever knowing the source of their misfortunes.

Security, national security and spying are as old as human society. Sometimes the need for it is real, sometimes the need is imagined. But for us stiffs who walk the land in our trusting stupidity, national security and the spying that goes with it remain a mystery cloaked in secrecy, whereby we are told that bad things are happening beyond our awareness and the only way to tackle it is by doing it secretly.

What it is, they can’t tell us? Because it’s a secret. Sometimes they need to push the envelope, like skirting the constitution for instance, but we’re not to worry, we’re in good hands.

How do we know we are in good hands? Because they say so. And how do they manage to keep us safe? That has to be kept secret if we are to be kept safe from whatever enemy they choose.

By the way, after reading this, please keep it to yourself.