The Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC; french: Comité de surveillance des activités de renseignement de sécurité) was a committee of
Privy Councillors that was empowered to serve as an independent oversight and review body for the operations of the
Canadian Security Intelligence Service
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS, ; french: Service canadien du renseignement de sécurité, ''SCRS'') is Canada's primary national intelligence agency. It is responsible for collecting, analysing, reporting and disseminating int ...
(CSIS). The SIRC was established in 1984 as a result of the reorganization of Canadian
intelligence agencies
An intelligence agency is a government agency responsible for the collection, analysis, and exploitation of information in support of law enforcement, national security, military, public safety, and foreign policy objectives.
Means of informatio ...
recommended by the
McDonald Commission
The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Certain Activities of the RCMP, better known as the McDonald Commission, was a Royal Commission called by the Canadian government of Pierre Trudeau to investigate the Royal Canadian Mounted Police after a num ...
investigating the illegal activities of the former
RCMP Security Service.
SIRC's role was to review the activities of CSIS to ensure that the extraordinary powers granted to the security service are "used legally and appropriately, in order to protect Canadians’ rights and freedoms." SIRC did not report to a minister but rather reported directly to the
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada (french: Parlement du Canada) is the federal legislature of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, and is composed of three parts: the King, the Senate, and the House of Commons. By constitutional convention, ...
.
On July 19, 2019, SIRC was superseded by the
National Security and Intelligence Review Agency
The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA; french: Office de surveillance des activités en matière de sécurité nationale et de renseignement, OSSNR) is an independent government agency organized to review all national security ...
(NSIRA), a super-agency mandated to review all Government of Canada national security and intelligence activities.
Chuck Strahl (2012–2014) lobbying activities
In January 2014,
Chuck Strahl resigned his position as chair of the Security Intelligence Review Committee, the watchdog of Canada's spy agency, after it was revealed by the press that he is also registered as a lobbyist over the
Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines
The Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines were a project to build a twin pipeline from Bruderheim, Alberta to Kitimat, British Columbia. The eastbound pipeline would have imported natural gas condensate and the westbound pipeline would have export ...
.
Arthur Porter (2008–2011) criminal charges and arrest
Arthur Porter and his wife Pamela Mattock Porter were detained by
Interpol
The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cr ...
agents in Panama on May 27, 2013, after an investigation by the
Sureté du Québec, the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal and national police service of Canada. As poli ...
and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). He faces charges in Canada of fraud, conspiracy to commit government fraud, abuse of trust, secret commissions and laundering the proceeds of a crime.
The fraud against the Quebec government is related to his alleged role in the handling of a $1.3-billion Montreal hospital construction and maintenance contract.
At the time of the alleged fraud, from 2008 to 2011, Porter director general of the
McGill University Health Centre
The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC; french: Centre universitaire de santé McGill) is one of two major healthcare networks in the city of Montreal, Quebec. It is affiliated with McGill University and is one of the largest medical complex ...
in Montreal,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...
, being in charge of one of Canada's largest health-care providers. He was appointed to the position in 2004. He was also a member of
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Canada by the size and passengers carried. Air Canada maintains its headquarters in the borough of Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec. The airline, founded in 1937, provides scheduled an ...
’s board of directors.
Porter claimed
diplomatic immunity
Diplomatic immunity is a principle of international law by which certain foreign government officials are recognized as having legal immunity from the jurisdiction of another country. on the basis that he was travelling via Panama on a diplomatic mission to
Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda (, ) is a sovereign country in the West Indies. It lies at the juncture of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in the Leeward Islands part of the Lesser Antilles, at 17°N latitude. The country consists of two majo ...
, on behalf of the government of Sierra Leone, according to his lawyer Ricardo Bilonick Paredes (formerly known as Ricardo Bilonick), a convicted cocaine smuggler with ties to Panama's former dictator,
Manuel Noriega
Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno (; February 11, 1934 – May 29, 2017) was a Panamanian dictator, politician and military officer who was the ''de facto'' ruler of Panama from 1983 to 1989. An authoritarian ruler who amassed a personal f ...
and Colombian drug cartels. However, the
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...
government says he is a
Goodwill Ambassador, goodwill ambassador and thus has no diplomatic immunity.
Air India bombing
In 2005, SIRC came under criticism for allegedly not giving close enough scrutiny to the activities of CSIS regarding the
Air India bombing
Air India Flight 182 was an Air India flight operating on the Montreal–London–Delhi–Bombay route. On 23 June 1985, it was operated using Boeing 747-237B registered ''VT-EFO''. It disintegrated in mid-air en route from Montreal to Lond ...
, where crucial wiretap evidence was destroyed putting the legal case against the alleged Air India bombers into jeopardy.
The Security Intelligence Review Committee cleared CSIS of any wrongdoing. The report remains secret to this day.
Past Chairs of SIRC
*
Ron Atkey
Ronald George Atkey, (February 15, 1942 – May 9, 2017) was a Canadian lawyer, law professor and politician.
Background
Atkey graduated in 1962 from the University of Western Ontario, and was a member of the Kappa Alpha Society while in uni ...
(1984–1989)
*
John Bassett
John White Hughes Bassett, (August 25, 1915 – April 27, 1998) was a Canadian media proprietor.
Born in Ottawa, Ontario, he was the son of John Bassett (1886–1958), publisher of the ''Montreal Gazette'', and Marion Avery (née Wright) ...
(1989–1992)
*
Jacques Courtois
Jacques Courtois or Giacomo Cortese, called il Borgognone or le Bourguignon (12 ?December 162114 November 1676) was a Franche-Comtois–Italian painter, draughtsman, and etcher. He was mainly active in Rome and Florence and became known as the ...
(1992–1996)
*
Paule Gauthier (1996–2005)
*
Gary Filmon (2005–2010)
*
Arthur Porter (2010–2011)(Resigned on November 10, 2011)
*
Carol Skelton
Carol Skelton, (born December 12, 1945 in Biggar, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian politician. She is a member of the Security Intelligence Review Committee which oversees the operation of Canadian Security Intelligence Service. She formerly served ...
(Acting, 2011–2012)
*
Chuck Strahl (2012 - 24 January 2014) (Resigned in January 2014)
*
Deborah Grey
Deborah Cleland Grey, (born July 1, 1952) is a retired Canadian member of Parliament from Alberta for the Reform Party of Canada, the Canadian Alliance, and the Conservative Party of Canada. She was the first female leader of the Opposition i ...
(Acting)
*
Pierre Blais (May 1, 2015 -)
Historical membership of SIRC
Source
SIRC
Appointed November 30, 1984
Chair:
Hon.
Ronald G. Atkey, PC, QC
(five years)
Members:
Hon.
Frank Charles McGee, PC
(five years)
Hon.
Jean Jacques Blais, PC, QC
(five years)
Hon.
Saul M. Cherniack, PC, QC
(five years)
Hon.
Paule Gauthier, PC, OC, OQ, QC
(five years)
Appointed November 30, 1989
Chair:
Hon.
John W.H. Bassett, PC, OC
(three years)
Members:
Hon.
Stewart D. McInnes, PC, QC
(three years)
Hon.
Jean Jacques Blais, PC, QC
(two years)
Hon.
Saul M. Cherniack, PC, QC
(two years)
Hon.
Paule Gauthier, PC, OC, OQ, QC
(two years)
Appointed November 30, 1991
Member:
Hon.
Saul M. Cherniack, PC, QC
(one year)
Appointed December 5, 1991
Members:
Hon.
Michel Robert, PC, QC
(five years)* *Appointed to the Bench, May 1995
Hon.
Jacques Courtois
Jacques Courtois or Giacomo Cortese, called il Borgognone or le Bourguignon (12 ?December 162114 November 1676) was a Franche-Comtois–Italian painter, draughtsman, and etcher. He was mainly active in Rome and Florence and became known as the ...
, PC, QC
(five years)
Appointed November 30, 1992
Member:
Hon.
Edwin A. Goodman, PC, OC, QC
(five years)
Appointed December 23, 1992
Chair:
Hon.
Jacques Courtois
Jacques Courtois or Giacomo Cortese, called il Borgognone or le Bourguignon (12 ?December 162114 November 1676) was a Franche-Comtois–Italian painter, draughtsman, and etcher. He was mainly active in Rome and Florence and became known as the ...
, PC, QC
(five years)
Member:
Hon.
George Vari, PC, OC
(five years)
Appointed April 20, 1993
Member:
Hon.
Rosemary Brown, PC, OC
(five years)
Appointed June 8, 1995
Member:
Hon.
Paule Gauthier, PC, OC, OQ, QC
(five years)
Appointed September 30, 1996
Chair:
Hon.
Paule Gauthier, PC, OC, OQ, QC
(to June 7, 2000)
Member:
Hon.
James Andrews Grant, PC, QC
(five years)
Appointed April 30, 1998
Member:
Hon.
Bob Rae
Robert Keith Rae (born August 2, 1948) is a Canadian diplomat and former politician who is the current Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations since 2020. He previously served as the 21st premier of Ontario from 1990 to 1995, leader of th ...
, PC, OC, O.Ont, QC
(five years)
Appointed June 9, 1999
Members:
Hon.
Raymond Speaker
Raymond Albert "Ray" Speaker, (born December 13, 1935) is a Canadian farmer and politician. Speaker was born and raised in Enchant, Alberta, where he farms to this day. He was an elected official at the federal and provincial levels for 34 years, ...
, PC, OC
(five years)
Hon.
Frank McKenna
Francis Joseph McKenna (born January 19, 1948) is a Canadian businessman and former politician and diplomat. He is currently Deputy Chairman of the Toronto-Dominion Bank. He served as Canadian Ambassador to the United States from 2005 to 2006 ...
, PC, OC, QC, ONB
(five years)
Appointed June 8, 2000
Chair:
Hon.
Paule Gauthier, PC, OC, OQ, QC
(five years)
Appointed October 4, 2001
Member:
Hon.
Gary Filmon, PC, OM
(five years)
Appointed February 20, 2003
Member:
Hon.
Baljit S. Chadha
Baljit Singh Chadha (born 1951) is a Canadian businessman based in Montreal, Quebec, who is the president and founder of Balcorp Limited which he started in 1976.The company has offices in Montreal, New Delhi and Mumbai. He is a leader of the Sikh ...
, PC
(five years)
November 13, 2003
Member:
Hon.
Roy Romanow
Roy John Romanow (born August 12, 1939) is a Canadian politician and the 12th premier of Saskatchewan from 1991 to 2001.
Early life
Romanow was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to Tekla and Michael Romanow, who were Ukrainian immigrants from Or ...
, PC, OC, SOM, QC
(five years)
Appointed September 16, 2004
Member:
Hon.
Raymond Speaker
Raymond Albert "Ray" Speaker, (born December 13, 1935) is a Canadian farmer and politician. Speaker was born and raised in Enchant, Alberta, where he farms to this day. He was an elected official at the federal and provincial levels for 34 years, ...
, PC, OC
(five years)
Appointed June 24, 2005
Chair:
Gary Filmon, PC, OM
(five years)
Member:
Aldea Landry, PC, CM, QC
(five years)
Appointed September 3, 2008
Members:
Hon.
Denis Losier
Denis Losier (born June 14, 1952) is a businessman, economist and former public servant and politician. He was appointed to the Security Intelligence Review Committee on September 3, 2008 and by virtue of that position has been sworn in as a me ...
, PC
Hon.
Arthur Porter, PC (five years), (resigned November 10, 2011)
["Arthur Porter Resignation: Spy Watchdog Quits Amid Concerns About Business Dealings"](_blank)
March 16, 2012
It is noteworthy to remark that 8 months after the appointment of Arthur Porter, the CSIS Director
Jim Judd announced his early resignation from his post.
Appointed January 23, 2009
Member:
Hon.
Frances Lankin
Frances Lankin, (born April 16, 1954), is a Canadian senator, former president and CEO of United Way Toronto, and a former Ontario MPP and cabinet minister in the NDP government of Bob Rae between 1990 and 1995. From 2010 to 2012, she co-chair ...
, PC
Appointed June 24, 2010
Chair:
Hon.
Arthur Porter, PC (resigned November 10, 2011)
Members:
Hon.
Philippe Couillard, PC
Hon.
Carol Skelton
Carol Skelton, (born December 12, 1945 in Biggar, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian politician. She is a member of the Security Intelligence Review Committee which oversees the operation of Canadian Security Intelligence Service. She formerly served ...
, PC
Appointed June 14, 2012
Chair:
Hon.
Chuck Strahl, PC (resigned January 2014)
Appointed April 22, 2013
Member:
Hon.
Deborah Grey
Deborah Cleland Grey, (born July 1, 1952) is a retired Canadian member of Parliament from Alberta for the Reform Party of Canada, the Canadian Alliance, and the Conservative Party of Canada. She was the first female leader of the Opposition i ...
, PC, OC (resigned May 2, 2015)
Appointed August 8, 2013
Member:
Hon.
Yves Fortier, PC, CC, OQ, QC
Appointed March 7, 2014
Member:
Hon. Gene McLean, PC
Appointed January 30, 2015
Member:
Hon. Ian Carl Holloway, PC, CD, QC
Appointed May 1, 2015
Chair:
Hon.
Pierre Blais, PC
Member:
Hon. Marie-Lucie Morin, PC
See also
*
National Security and Intelligence Review Agency
The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA; french: Office de surveillance des activités en matière de sécurité nationale et de renseignement, OSSNR) is an independent government agency organized to review all national security ...
*
*
*
Communications Security Establishment Canada
The Communications Security Establishment (CSE; french: Centre de la sécurité des télécommunications, ''CST''), formerly (from 2008-2014) called the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC), is the Government of Canada's national c ...
*
Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament
The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament (ISC) is a statutory joint committee of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, appointed to oversee the work of the UK intelligence community.
The committee was established in 1994 by the I ...
References
External links
Official site
{{Authority control
1984 establishments in Canada
2019 disestablishments in Canada
Canadian Security Intelligence Service
Government agencies established in 1984
Government agencies disestablished in 2019
Independent government agencies of Canada
Defunct Canadian intelligence agencies