Security law permits spies to be named; LeBlanc says he knows but refuses to disclose

Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc refuses to identify which MPs are acting as spies on Parliament Hill, despite laws that allow him to do so “in the public interest.”LeBlanc on Thursday testified at the Commons Public Safety Committee he personally knows the names of Parliament Hill spies and which foreign governments they work for. He cited national security in refusing to disclose the information, per Blacklock’s Reporter.Conservative MP Frank Caputo, however, noted the Security Of Information Act permits the unmasking of foreign agents “in the public interest.”"I am very comfortable I have the information I need to do the work I have to do,” said LeBlanc.“But you will understand that discussing the details particularly of the most sensitive information is not something we want to do publicly.”A special report released Monday by the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians disclosed “a few” parliamentarians have pocketed secret payments from foreign embassies, spied on colleagues and acted at the “direction of foreign officials.” One culprit was suspected of “providing information learned in confidence from the government to a known intelligence officer of a foreign state.”“This places a cloud of suspicion over every single member of the House,” Caputo told the committee.“Do you know the names of these people?” asked Caputo.“I am updated regularly,” replied LeBlanc.“Do you know the names, yes or no?” asked Caputo. “I know a number of names,” replied LeBlanc.“Are you prepared to release those names?” asked Caputo. “No,” replied Minister LeBlanc.“Do you think Canadians have a right to know?” asked Caputo. “I think it’s important for Canadians to understand these names are contained in intelligence reports. In some cases it is uncorroborated or unverified intelligence information. I think we would need to be very careful,” replied LeBlanc.“The idea that there is a perfect list of names that is entirely reliable that should be released to the public is simply irresponsible. (There is not) some perfect list of names that the government isn’t releasing.”“Minister, the committee report doesn’t equivocate like you just did. The committee report is clear, incredibly clear,” objected Caputo.While the Security Of Information Act forbids disclosure of secret information (under threat of 14 years’ imprisonment), it exempts disclosure “in the public interest.”Section 15.2.a. states: “A person acts in the public interest if the person acts for the purpose of disclosing an offence under an Act of Parliament that he or she reasonably believes has been, is being or is about to be committed in the purported performance of that person’s duties and functions for or on behalf of the Government of Canada.”Caputo said the case of spies in the 44th Parliament obviously applied.“The minister can disclose classified information when it is in the public interest. What could be more in the public interest?” said Caputo. “You are okay with us going into an election, people putting an ‘x’ beside a name where they have a cloud of suspicion, every single one of us.”“Let’s face it, Minister, I think if there were six Conservatives on that list and no other Liberals we would have the names. Let’s be honest here.”Conservative MP Michael Cooper asked for numbers.“How many compromised MPs are there?” asked Cooper.“The information that underlies the conclusions of our intelligence agencies or the RCMP is highly protected, sensitive information,” replied LeBlanc.“I asked you simply for a number; how many compromised MPs are there?” asked Cooper. “I get the theatrics,” replied LeBlanc.“This is about as serious as it gets, that we have members of parliament working for hostile foreign states,” said Cooper.“You won’t release the names. At the very least Canadians deserve to know how many MPs are compromised. Are any of them sitting around the cabinet table?” “Mr. Cooper can pretend to be a prosecutor if he wants,” replied LeBlanc.

Security law permits spies to be named; LeBlanc says he knows but refuses to disclose

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