The national security and intelligence advisor (french: conseiller à la sécurité nationale et au renseignement) is a

public servant The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

who advises the

prime minister of Canada The prime minister of Canada (french: premier ministre du Canada, link=no) is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority the elected Hou ...

security Security is protection from, or resilience against, potential harm (or other unwanted coercive change) caused by others, by restraining the freedom of others to act. Beneficiaries (technically referents) of security may be of persons and social ...

and

intelligence Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can b ...

matters. The position is supported by the Security and Intelligence Secretariat and the Intelligence Assessment Staff and holds the rank of associate secretary in the Privy Council Office (PCO).

Responsibilities

The National Security and Intelligence Advisor has four main responsibilities: *providing information, advice and recommendations on security and intelligence policy matters to the prime minister; *co-ordinating members of the security and intelligence community; *along with the deputy minister for the

Department of National Defence Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philipp ...

, is accountable to the minister of national defence for the Communications Security Establishment; and *overseeing the intelligence assessment function, specifically the production and co-ordination of intelligence assessments for the prime minister, other Cabinet members and senior government officials.

History

The position was created in 2005 by

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...

Anne McLellan A. Anne McLellan (born August 31, 1950) is a Canadian politician and academic who served as the ninth deputy prime minister of Canada from 2003 to 2006. She was a cabinet minister in the Liberal governments of Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin, ...

and had been tasked by Prime Minister

Paul Martin Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006. The son o ...

to reorganize of Canada's national security scheme. She released a policy document called '' Securing an Open Society: Canada's National Security Policy.''

Daniel Jean Daniel Jean was the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau from May 2016 until May 2018. Education Jean possesses a Bachelor of Social Sciences, International Relations and Economics, from the University of Ot ...

resigned after he suggested that

Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...

's trip to India was sabotaged. On November 8, 2019,

Greta Bossenmaier Greta Bossenmaier is a retired Canadian civil servant. Biography The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, issued the following statement on the upcoming retirement of Greta Bossenmaier: "Today, I announce the retirement of my National Security and ...

retired from the Public Service of Canada. Foreign and Defence Policy Advisor David Morrison acted in the role while the Prime Minister's Office sought a permanent replacement. On January 22, 2020, Vince Rigby took up the post, which had been filled in the interim since Bossenmaier's departure by David Morrison Former National Defence Deputy Minister

Jody Thomas Jody Thomas is a Canadian public servant who has been the national security advisor to the prime minister of Canada since 2022. Thomas has held a number of roles in the Public Service of Canada. Education Thomas holds a Bachelor of Commerce ...

took over the role on January 11, 2022.

List of National Security Advisors

References

*Privy Council Office (2009)

Retrieved February 20, 2009. *Privy Council Office (2005)
Organization Chart
Retrieved July 8, 2005.

External links

*Privy Council Office
Securing an Open Society: Canada’s National Security Policy
*Privy Council Office

Federal departments and agencies of Canada {{Canada-gov-stub