National Security Advisor

The National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister is responsible for intelligence and threat assessment integration and interagency cooperation, and for assisting the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness in the development and overall implementation of an integrated policy for national security and emergencies.

Reporting to the Clerk of the Privy Council, the National Security Advisor has a mandate to coordinate the security and intelligence activities of all Canadian government departments and agencies, and to promote effective international intelligence relationships. In addition, the National Security Advisor is accountable to the Minister of National Defence for the policy and operations of the Communications Security Establishment.

Two PCO secretariats - a policy unit, the Security and Intelligence Secretariat, and an assessment unit, the Intelligence Assessment Secretariat - report to the the National Security Advisor.

Resources

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Where do the Conservatives stand on national security?
The back pages of the Conservative Party's election platform included the creation of a foreign intelligence service, the establishment of a national security commissioner and the launching of a judicial inquiry into the 20-year-old Air-India  [...]
HTML | Published: 2006-03-28 | Added: 2006-04-18

Canada's Conservatives to Set up New Anti-Terror Spy Agency
Stephen Harper said his government would set up a separate foreign spy agency to independently counter threats before they reach Canada. Harper said that the Canadian Foreign Intelligence Agency would fall under the guise of a new security czar.
HTML | Published: 2006-01-07 | Added: 2006-01-14

Stand up for Security
A Conservative government will expand the Canadian Foreign Intelligence Agency to effectively gather intelligence overseas, independently counter threats before they reach Canada, and increase allied intelligence operations.
HTML | Published: 2006-01-05 | Added: 2006-01-14

Czar is a non-starter
Taking a break from the backyard grills of the nation, Harper announced that a Conservative government would create the office of a commissioner of national security to co-ordinate Canada's security agencies.
HTML | Published: 2005-07-20 | Added: 2005-07-28

Tories would create security czar post
Canada needs an arm's-length security czar to fend off terrorist threats. The commissioner would draw on resources of police and intelligence agencies to develop "overarching" plans to strengthen and better integrate Canada's security network.
HTML | Published: 2005-07-20 | Added: 2005-07-28

Prime Minister announces the appointment of his National Security Advisor
Prime Minister Paul Martin announced the appointment of William J.S. Elliott as his National Security Advisor.
LINK | Published: 2005-04-07 | Added: 2005-06-01

CASIS Conference Sparks Debate
Addressing delegates on Oct. 14 at one of the opening sessions of the CASIS conference, Mr. Wark said the government was duty-bound three years ago to put more resources and brain power behind its national security agenda.
HTML | Published: 2004-10-20 | Added: 2004-10-22

Averting our own 9/11
Speaking on Thursday at the opening of the annual conference of the Canadian Association of Security and Intelligence Studies, Robert Wright quite correctly stated that it is "absurd" to believe that terrorist attacks could not happen on our own  [...]
HTML | Published: 2004-10-16 | Added: 2004-10-19

Dangers for Canada are real
The Prime Minister's national security advisor told a major security and intelligence conference yesterday it would be
TEXT | Published: 2004-10-15 | Added: 2004-10-19

Experts push for security review
The federal government and the public should be engaged in the very debates conducted at the conference concerning methods of intelligence gathering and Canada's role in international operations.
HTML | Published: 2004-10-17 | Added: 2004-10-19

Tories to create new security bodies: document
An internal party document obtained by the French-language service of CBC suggests the Conservatives want to set up a U.S.-style national intelligence agency to manage information from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the RCMP.
HTML | Published: 2004-06-12 | Added: 2004-06-12

Ottawa plans $500m security fix
The Liberal government will spend $500-million on a new national security policy to close significant gaps in Canada's intelligence and security apparatus.
HTML | Published: 2004-04-22 | Added: 2004-04-26

Afghanistan effort could make Canada a terrorist target: federal official
Robert Wright, national security adviser to Prime Minister Paul Martin, told a security conference that raids by Canadian troops could have a direct effect on the security of Canadian interests.
HTML | Published: 2004-03-26 | Added: 2004-04-22

Security chief fears for Canadian flights
Canada continues to receive specific terrorist threats against Canadian flights and urgently needs expanded powers to gather more information on airline passengers, says Prime Minister Paul Martin's top national security adviser.
HTML | Published: 2004-02-24 | Added: 2004-02-25

Special Appointment Regulations - National Security Advisor
The Governor in Council may appoint Robert A. Wright to the position of Associate Secretary to Cabinet and National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, to hold office during pleasure.
LINK | Published: 2003-12-12 | Added: 2004-02-07

Directory of the National Security Advisor office
Government electronic directory of the staff at the National Security Advisor office.
LINK | Published: 2001-01-01 | Added: 2004-02-06

Public Safety ministry combines several agencies
Taking a cue from the United States, the federal government has created an overarching public security ministry to help Canada deal with everything from terrorist threats to natural disasters.
HTML | Published: 2003-12-12 | Added: 2004-02-06

Changes to Government
The Government of Canada must play a fundamental role in securing the public health and safety of Canadians, while ensuring that all Canadians continue to enjoy the benefits of an open society. The government will achieve these goals by making the  [...]
LINK | Published: 2003-12-12 | Added: 2003-12-12

Government unveils public-safety department
The Paul Martin government has unveilled a sweeping new public-safety department -- and is creating a new agency -- that will add public-health functions and disaster response to policing and border security.
HTML | Published: 2003-12-12 | Added: 2003-12-12