The Commissioner's Office

In 2005–2006, my office's expenditures of $1,043,540 were well within budget for the period. Annex C to this report provides a summary of 2005–2006 expenditures.

In carrying out my mandated responsibilities, I continue to rely on the expertise, loyalty and commitment of my staff. My office has a full-time working staff of eight people, supplemented by contracted professionals who bring a range of skills, knowledge and experience to bear as and when required.

I encourage and support several activities to help ensure that my staff continues to sharpen skills, broaden knowledge and experience, and remain fully engaged in the review community and in issues facing the security and intelligence sector in general. Such developmental opportunities in 2005–2006 included:

• initiating what has become known as the Review Agencies Forum. This involves my staff as well as the staffs of the Security Intelligence Review Committee, the Office of the Inspector General of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP, who meet and share experiences, discuss issues of mutual interest and concern and identify best practices in review;

• continuing to host informal presentations to my office by government officials and academics on matters relating to security and intelligence as well as review;

• attendance of my staff at several conferences and symposia, including the 20^th Anniversary International Conference of the Canadian Association for Security and Intelligence Studies; an International Symposium on Making National Security Accountable; the National Security Studies Seminar of the Canadian Forces College; and the 4^th Annual Charter Conference of the Ontario Bar Association.

In 2004–2005, my staff began the practice of giving presentations to new CSE employees — as part of their orientation course — about the duties, powers and work of the CSE Commissioner. These presentations continued in 2005–2006. I believe that this is an excellent way for my office to participate in assuring that CSE employees are aware of the Commissioner's mandate as well as how this mandate is discharged in practice.