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McLellan defends government security spending
CTV.ca News Staff
Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan defended government security spending on Sunday, two days before an Auditor General's report that will question how effectively the government spent $7.7 billion to secure Canada after Sept. 11. In an appearance on CTV's Question Period, McLellan said the money spent on safety and security "has generally been well spent." In addition to serving as Deputy PM, McLellan is Canada's Public Safety Minister. She is also the focal government contact for the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, to which all Canadian security and intelligence agencies now report. The longtime Alberta cabinet minister was handed that role when Paul Martin took over as Prime Minister last December. On Tuesday, Auditor General Sheila Fraser is expected to question the effectiveness of government spending on national security concerns. However, unlike her damaging report on the federal sponsorship scandal, Fraser isn't expected to suggest any government wrongdoing. Instead, the report will likely ask why Canadian intelligence and anti-terrorism agencies have failed to communicate properly. McLellan told CTV that situation has improved since she took on her new role. "The prime minister recognizes how important it was to have one minister the focus of much of our security and our safety and emergency preparedness operations," she said. Despite the improvements, McLellan said Canada could be better prepared. "Obviously there's more that needs to be done," she said. "In the business of protecting Canadians' safety and security, it's a constant evaluation in terms of where the threats are, the nature of the threats, and how we respond to those threats." |
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