| Andrew Mayeda |
| CanWest News Service; Ottawa Citizen |
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
|
OTTAWA - Canada should appoint a politically independent intelligence "czar" who would co-ordinate the operations of security and intelligence agencies such as the RCMP and CSIS, the former director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service said Monday.
The Privy Council Office, effectively the bureaucratic arm of the prime minister and his cabinet, currently handles those responsibilities under the guidance of the prime minister's national-security adviser.
But PCO "remains too close to the political process," said Reid Morden, who headed CSIS from 1988 to 1992.
Although the prime minister is ultimately accountable for the country's security, his direct involvement has traditionally been "minimal," Morden on Monday told the Senate committee on national security and defence.
Letting PCO quarterback the process worked well in a "non-crisis-driven environment." But with national security under the microscope like never before, Canada needs decisions in the field to be governed by "expert, not political, judgments," Morden argued.
"Times have changed and there is a need for someone really to be in charge."
The comments came on the same day that the committee heard testimony from Prime Minister Stephen Harper's national-security adviser, Margaret Bloodworth. Her testimony showcased the considerable influence she wields over Canadian national-security policy.
Bloodworth compared her role to that of U.S. National Director of Intelligence Mike McConnell, who serves as principal national-security adviser to the president.
She said that, after consulting with the heads of agencies such as CSIS and the RCMP, she advises the prime minister on what priorities the government should set in security and intelligence.
"The prime minister's interests, as head of (the government), are obviously making sure the intelligence community works together and does not operate in silos," said Bloodworth, who was appointed to the job in October after serving as deputy minister for both the departments of National Defence and Public Safety.
"That is the role on behalf of the prime minister that I perform, of co-ordinating the overall operations of the intelligence community."
Bloodworth also oversees the preparation of daily intelligence briefings for Harper, and would advise him in the event of a national-security incident such as a terrorist attack.
In most cases, information sent to the prime minister by security agencies would first go through PCO, she explained.
"Every time one briefs the prime minister or any other minister, you make a selection of what is important for that minister to know, and that's done by the Privy Council Office."
That prompted some Senators on the committee to question whether Bloodworth might exert too much influence over what information the prime minister receives.
"We hear from the heads of agencies that sometimes months g o by and they don't get an opportunity to talk to sometimes their own minister, much less the prime minister," committee chair Colin Kenny said.
Bloodworth said she was not aware of such concerns.
She also revealed that, in addition to having access to a cabinet committee on foreign affairs and national security, Harper chairs an "ad hoc" cabinet committee that sets security and intelligence priorities.
Kenny said the existence of such a committee suggests Harper has a small circle of ministers, and not necessarily ministers directly involved with security files, whom he taps for security advice. The prime minister's office declined to provide further details.
Morden said his recommendation for a new intelligence czar has nothing to do with Bloodworth's performance.
However, he was pointed in his assessment of the PCO's ability to handle security issues, calling it a "small secretariat" that tends to "minimize" the importance of security and intelligence.
He said the intelligence czar would ideally be someone with "practical experience" who could command the respect of Canada's tightly knit intelligence community.
He pointed to the example of the U.S. national director of intelligence, as well as Britain's chairman of the joint intelligence committee. However, he emphasized that Canada should come up with a "homegrown solution."
Kenny called the recommendation a "reasonable proposition," agreeing that PCO could be seen as a political instrument of the prime minister. "Their job is to reflect the prime minister's views, and the prime minister is political by nature."
Ottawa Citizen
