OTTAWA—The Liberal government has issued a broad new directive requiring more accountability from Canada’s domestic spy agency, the Star has learned.The updated rules require the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to be more upfront with its political masters on its operations and techniques, including informing the public safety minister before undertaking “high risk” intelligence operations.The directive also underlines expectations that CSIS will be “full, fair, and frank” in its dealings with the Federal Court after recent rulings sharply criticized the agency for failing to properly inform judges about its activities.The Star reported Saturday that CSIS repeatedly broke accountability rules by failing to inform then-public safety minister Ralph Goodale about an undisclosed number of “high-risk” intelligence operations.“The government and the people of Canada expect a high level of performance by (CSIS) in discharging its responsibilities … Accountability is fundamental to our system of government, and in maintaining the confidence of Canadians,” reads a copy of the Sept. 10 directive obtained by the Star.Under the new directive, which updates rules for CSIS operations last issued in 2015, the agency is required to inform the public safety minister about a broader range of its activities — including legal proceedings, the use of “novel” intelligence techniques or technologies, or independent review bodies finding possible “unlawful activity” by the spy agency.Details about those operations were censored from the June 2018 memo to Goodale, obtained by the Star under access to information law, and a spokesperson for the agency said releasing further information about the operations “would be injurious to national security.”Richard Fadden, who served as CSIS director and as national security adviser to two prime ministers, said it wasn’t rare fo ...
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