Six Alarming Truths from Canada's Top Secret Security Report
What a committee of Parliamentarians revealed about foreign interference, policing struggles, and the urgent need for government action.
Parliamentarians with top-secret security clearance review the work of Canada's national security and intelligence agencies. They form the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians. Their job is to see what goes on behind the closed doors of organizations like the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Each year, they publish a report for the Prime Minister, giving Canadians a rare look into the country's biggest security challenges.
The latest report paints a concerning picture. Foreign states are actively interfering in our democracy. Key government departments struggle with unclear roles. The laws meant to protect us are falling behind modern threats. The findings suggest a pattern of known problems and slow responses.
Here are six of the most significant takeaways from the committee's work. These points highlight systemic issues affecting your security and the integrity of Canadian democracy.
1. The Government Has Known Its Defences Against Foreign Interference Are Weak for Years
The report is clear, foreign states conduct sophisticated and pervasive interference in Canada. These activities target democratic processes before, during, and after elections, affecting all levels of government. The committee names the People’s Republic of China and India as the most active perpetrators.
What is most concerning is this is not new information for the government. The committee found officials were aware back in 2018 of the initial Plan to Protect Democracy being insufficient to handle the threat. The report suggests the delay in creating a more effective response contributed to the recent crisis around leaked intelligence. This shows a gap between knowing about a problem and taking decisive action to fix the problem.
2. Our National Security Laws Are Not Built for The Digital Age
A running theme through the committee's reviews is Canada's legal framework is struggling to keep pace with evolving threats. The special report on foreign interference highlights outdated legislation as a major obstacle. These old laws impede the government's ability to share classified information with provinces or law enforcement, hindering a coordinated response.
This issue extends beyond foreign interference. The committee is also reviewing how security agencies lawfully access communications, a challenge made immense by encrypted technologies. The findings consistently point toward a need for legislative renewal. Without modern tools, our security and intelligence community is forced to confront twenty-first-century threats with twentieth-century rules. Reports from previous years on the Department of National Defence also called for new laws to govern defence intelligence activities.
3. The RCMP's Federal Policing Mandate Is Critically Under-Resourced
Your national police force has a federal policing mandate covering national security, transnational organized crime, and complex financial crimes. According to the committee's past reviews, this crucial part of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is not adequately funded to meet its responsibilities.
The committee found federal policing resources are insufficient. Worse, these limited resources are often diverted to support provincial and territorial contract policing duties. This leaves federal priorities understaffed. Jurisdictions have noted these capacity challenges affect the force's ability to conduct major investigations into organized crime and money laundering. The government itself acknowledged these resource constraints create workload pressures and lead to fewer complex federal investigations.
4. Confusion Over Who Is in Charge Hinders National Security Response
When a national security threat emerges, you expect a clear, coordinated response. The committee’s findings suggest this is not always the case. The report on foreign interference found significant confusion about the roles, mandates, and accountabilities of the National Security Council and its supporting committees.
Different departments and ministers interpret the seriousness of threats differently, leading to inconsistent action. This lack of clarity is not a new issue. A previous review of the Prime Minister's 2018 trip to India also resulted in a recommendation to formally clarify the role of the National Security and Intelligence Advisor. Effective national security requires a system where everyone knows their job and is accountable for the work. The reports show Canada has work to do to achieve that clarity.
5. The Military Lacks Clear Rules for Handling Information About Canadians
The committee’s work uncovered serious concerns about how the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces handle intelligence. One special report focused on the collection, use, and retention of information on Canadian citizens during defence intelligence activities.
The committee made the serious recommendation the military rescind its internal directive on the matter. The group called for new legislation to govern these activities and define the extent to which the military should be authorized to handle information about Canadians. The review also pushed for the military to comply with the letter and spirit of the Privacy Act in all defence intelligence activities, whether at home or abroad. This finding raises fundamental questions about privacy and oversight for one of the government’s most significant institutions.
6. The Government Is Slow to Implement Security Recommendations
Perhaps the most pervasive theme in the annual report is the slow pace of change. The document is filled with updates on recommendations from previous years, showing a pattern of delayed or incomplete implementation across multiple departments. The government has made some progress, but the core challenges often persist.
The committee itself is an example of this inertia. The law creating the committee requires a comprehensive review of the governing act every five years. That review was due in 2022. The 2024 report points out this statutory review is now nearly three years overdue. This delay holds back potential reforms which could improve the committee’s access to information and enhance independence, making the oversight work more effective.
The work of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians provides an essential public service. The committee’s reports reveal persistent challenges in Canada's security posture, from foreign interference and overstretched policing to outdated laws and unclear governance. While progress is noted in some areas, the overarching message is one of urgency. The threats are evolving quickly, and the machinery of government is struggling to keep up.
The report leaves Canadians with a critical question. With these deep-rooted challenges repeatedly identified by a committee with top-secret access, what will prompt the government to move from acknowledgement to the implementation of comprehensive and lasting solutions?
Sources:
National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians. (2025). Annual Report 2024. His Majesty the King in Right of Canada.