NSICOP welcomes appointment of new member

Ottawa, March 7, 2019 — Today, the Prime Minister announced the appointment of the Honourable Diane Finley to the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP), effective March 7, 2019.

The Chair of NSICOP, the Hon. David McGuinty, welcomes the appointment of Ms. Finley. “On behalf of all members of the Committee, I extend a warm welcome to The Hon. Diane Finley”. “Ms. Finley brings a wealth of experience as a Parliamentarian and as a former Minister. With its full complement of 11 members, the Committee looks forward to pursuing its ambitious agenda for 2019”, added Mr. McGuinty.

NSICOP recently announced its work plan for 2019.

Background

NSICOP was established under the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians Act on June 22, 2017. NSICOP serves as an independent, high-level review body of Canada’s national security and intelligence organizations. It may review:

• the legislative, regulatory, policy, administrative and financial framework for national security and intelligence;
• any activity carried out by a department that relates to national security or intelligence, unless the activity is an ongoing operation and the appropriate Minister determines that the review would be injurious to national security;
• any matter relating to national security or intelligence that a minister of the Crown refers to NSICOP.

NSICOP members hold the highest level of security clearance, are permanently bound to secrecy under the Foreign Interference and Security of Information Act and meet in private.

NSICOP must submit an annual report to the Prime Minister that includes the reviews conducted in the preceding year. It may also complete a Special Report on any matter related to its mandate, at any time. The Prime Minister causes NSICOP’s reports to be tabled in both Houses of Parliament, which are then referred to the appropriate Senate and House of Commons committees.