The Year Ahead

The Public Safety Act

In April 2002 the government introduced Bill C-55, the Public Safety Act. Still under consideration by Parliament as I write this, the Bill is a companion piece to the Anti-terrorism Act passed in December 2001. Bill C-55 proposes legislative changes on a wide range of subjects, from transportation safety and immigration to biological weapons.

Of particular interest to me is a proposed amendment to the National Defence Act that would confer a new responsibility on the Commissioner of CSE for reviewing activities undertaken by the Department of National Defence or the Canadian Forces to protect their computer networks and systems.

Over the coming months, I will review this new legislative provision and the impact it may have on my office.

Budget and staff

During the 2001-2002 fiscal year, my budget allocation was $647,150. I can report that actual expenses incurred were well within budget.

My office consists of full-time staff, several subject-matter experts whom I engage on a part-time basis, and an independent legal counsel. I benefit from this arrangement, which allows me to bring on board people whose backgrounds are well-suited to conducting specialized work in an evolving and technically challenging field.

Resource requirements for the coming year are under review, given additional responsibilities conferred on the Commissioner through amendments to the National Defence Act and the Security of Information Act.

Commissioner's reappointment

Although the position of Commissioner of the Communications Security Establishment is now established in law, the appointment of the individual to fill the office is still made by the Governor in Council for a specified term. My current appointment is for a three-year term that expires in June 2002, and I have been reappointed for a further year to June 2003.

Review agencies conference

The third international Review Agencies Conference was scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., in mid-October 2001, following on conferences in Canberra (1997) and Ottawa (1999). Following the events of September 11, the Washington conference was cancelled. My colleagues and I convened in London, England, May 12-14, 2002, to exchange knowledge and experiences and to renew acquaintanceships.