Inside the Security Intelligence Review Committee - Annual Report 2002-2003

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Section 3: Inside the Security Intelligence Review Committee

Annual Report 2002-2003 - An Operational Review of CSIS Activities

Table of Contents

APPOINTMENT OF A NEW MEMBER

In February 2003, the Governor in Council appointed the Honourable Baljit S. Chadha as a Member of the Committee for a five-year term. Mr. Chadha is the President of Montreal-based Balcorp Limited and a member of the Board of Governors of Concordia University.

SENIOR STAFF APPOINTMENTS AT SIRC

In October 2002, Susan Pollak, Executive Director of SIRC, announced the appointment of Kelly McGee as the Deputy Executive Director. Most recently, Ms. McGee was the Research Manager for SIRC following many years as Senior Counsel and Director of Policy and Legislative Services at the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton.

In March 2003, Suzanne Beaubien joined SIRC as Research Manager. Previously, Ms. Beaubien was the Senior Policy Analyst in the Public Health Branch of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, with 21 years' experience in communications and program analysis within the Ontario public service. A seasoned journalist, she was the Queen's Park correspondent for the CKO All News national network.

SIRC STAFFING AND ORGANIZATION

As of March 31, 2003 the Committee had a staff complement of 16: an Executive Director, a Deputy Executive Director, a Senior Counsel, a Counsel, a Senior Paralegal and an Access to Information and Privacy Officer/ Analyst (both of whom are Committee registrars for hearings), a Research Manager, two Senior Research Advisors, one Senior Research Analyst, two Research Analysts, a Financial/ Office Manager, and an administrative support staff of three to handle sensitive and highly classified material using special security procedures.

At their meetings, Members of the Committee decide formally on the research and other activities they wish to pursue and set priorities for the staff. Management of the day-to-day operations is delegated to the Executive Director with direction, when necessary, from the Committee Chair in her role as Chief Executive Officer.

RESEARCH AND REVIEW ACTIVITIES

Each fiscal year the Committee identifies a number of areas of CSIS activity that will be the focus of its review. Reporting regularly to senior management and to Committee Members at their meetings, SIRC researchers and analysts divide their time between SIRC's premises and the Committee's facilities at the Service. The separate office space and computers made available by the Service at CSIS Headquarters are for the exclusive use of SIRC staff.

SECURITY INTELLIGENCE BRIEFINGS

As part of their regular meetings the Chair and Committee Members have exchanges with senior government officials within Canada's security intelligence community, academics and other experts in the field, or with key non-governmental organizations in order to keep lines of communication open and to stay abreast of new developments. Committee meetings are frequently held in different regions of the country, at which time Members also visit CSIS regional offices to be briefed on local operational priorities and challenges.

PARLIAMENTARY RELATIONS

On February 18, 2003, Committee Chair Paule Gauthier and Members Gary Filmon and Raymond Speaker appeared before the House of Commons Sub-Committee on National Security. Also present were SIRC's Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director and Senior Counsel.

ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES

In May 2002, the Committee Chair Paule Gauthier, Member Raymond Speaker and the Executive Director attended a gathering of international intelligence review agencies in London, England.

In June 2002, research staff attended the Canadian Centre of Intelligence and Security Studies' (CCISS) inaugural conference held at Carleton University, Ottawa. The theme of the Conference was “Canada's Foreign Intelligence Requirements: Threats, Capabilities and Options.” In July 2002, Susan Pollak, SIRC Executive Director, accepted an invitation to join CCISS's Council of Advisors.

In September 2002, the Executive Director and staff attended the conference of the Canadian Association of Security and Intelligence Studies held in Ottawa. The conference theme was: “The New Intelligence Order: Knowledge for Security and International Relations.”

In October 2002, SIRC's Executive Director addressed a graduate seminar at the Centre for Security and Defence Studies, The Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University, in Ottawa.

In February 2003, SIRC senior management and research staff attended the conference of the Law Commission of Canada with the theme “In Search of Security: An International Conference on Policing and Security” held in Montreal.

In March 2003, senior management and staff attended the 2003 CCISS conference in Ottawa entitled: “Intelligence Analysis: Recent Trends, Canadian Requirements.” SIRC's Executive Director participated in the conference's summing up round table.

BUDGET AND EXPENDITURES

The Committee continues to manage its activities within allotted resource levels. The chief expenses were for staff salaries and benefits and for travel expenses within Canada for Committee hearings, briefings and review activities (Table 4).

SIRC REQUEST FOR INCREASED FUNDING

In the Committee's annual report of 2001-2002 we reported on the substantial new resources the Government had allocated to CSIS, namely, an immediate increase in budget of 30 percent. We noted that as a direct and immediate result of this increase, the Service was dramatically raising the level of investigative activities that SIRC has a legal responsibility to monitor and review.

SIRC then undertook a comprehensive review of its own activities and the resources available to fulfill its obligations to Parliament and the people of Canada. As a result, in July 2002 the Committee made a formal request to Treasury Board for an increase in resources of 16 percent. If granted, this would provide the Committee with additional financial resources commensurate with CSIS's expanded level of activities.

**Table 4 SIRC Expenditures**
	2002-2003 (Actual $)	2003-2004 ($ Estimates)
Personnel	1 438 344	1 363 000
Goods and Services	659 892	975 000
Total	2 098 236	2 338 000

INQUIRIES UNDER THE ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND PRIVACY ACTS

Every year, SIRC receives requests for the release of material under both the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. Table 5 records the number of requests for the past three fiscal years.

Because the Committee receives numerous requests for the same SIRC study the work required to process the first request for any given study does not have to be repeated. The Committee has chosen, therefore, to waive application fees for access to studies.

**Table 5 Requests for Release of Material**
Year	Access to Information Act	Privacy Act
2000-2001	34	3
2001-2002	22	4
2002-2003	20	4