Passport and other information to be shared with security agencies
The federal government believes Canada is vulnerable to a significant terrorist attack because of legislative gaps that hinder and, in some cases prevent, federal agencies from sharing information about potential threats.
Government sources tell CBC News that legislation to be tabled when Parliament resumes later this month will provide national security agencies with explicit authority to obtain and share information that is now subject to privacy limits.
The legislation is the centrepiece of a package of wide-ranging security measures to be unveiled in the coming weeks. They include:
- Changes to the privacy limits governing information submitted in passport applications to allow it to be shared with national security agencies.
- Authorizing information on the movement of controlled goods such as automatic weapons and tracking devices, and substances that can be used to make chemical weapons, to be shared with investigative agencies.
- Making it easier for police to detain suspected extremists.
- A new strategy to help prevent young people from becoming radicalized.
These gaps were identified in an extensive review begun after the separate attacks last October by Martin Couture-Rouleau, who ran over and killed a Canadian Forces member in a hit-and-run attack, and by Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, who stormed Parliament Hill armed with a hunting rifle after shooting a Canadian Forces soldier in the back as he stood guard at the National War Memorial.
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