Home Newsroom 2004 Speeches (archive) Bloodworth: 2004-04-26

Conference on strategies for public safety transformation

Speaking notes for
Margaret Bloodworth

Ottawa, Ontario
April 26, 2004

Check against delivery

Introduction

Thank you Edgar (Edgar MacLeod, President, Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police), and good morning ladies and gentlemen. It is my great pleasure to deliver the opening address at this third annual conference on strategies for public safety transformation. I want to thank the organizers for inviting me to be here, and also the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police for hosting this year’s conference. Last but not least, on behalf of the Government of Canada, I want to welcome all of you to Ottawa, with a special welcome to those who are visiting from outside the country.

I know this is said at the beginning of every conference, but I truly believe that meetings such as this are vital to our work. They foster networking and collaboration in a business where relationships are a cornerstone of success. Where our ability to work together, to share information and knowledge, saves lives and protects our social and economic well-being, as well as the rights and freedoms we enjoy as citizens of democratic societies.

This year’s theme of "Technology and Counter-Terrorism" is timely and appropriate. As I’m sure you will hear over and over again in the next two days, technology is offering up new opportunities for terrorism prevention, protection and pursuit. But it’s also giving extremists in the world new tools of destruction.

The New Threat Environment

Technology is a great leveller -- it has tremendous powers for both good and bad. Today, our reliance on computers and other technologies has brought us untold benefits. But it has also created serious challenges for those tasked with ensuring public safety and national security in Canada and elsewhere.

New and emerging technologies have recast the threat environment. Those that leverage speed, cross jurisdictions and provide anonymity are being used to circumvent traditional investigative techniques.

Technologies that help us in some ways hinder us in others, because they also make it easier for criminals and terrorists to conduct their business.

For example, the Internet is now a vital conduit for criminals engaged in drug trafficking, money laundering, smuggling and child pornography. It has opened new communications channels for terrorist groups. It is being used to recruit people, to train them, to raise and move money, and to direct terrorist activities.

Encrypted e-mails and satellite communications were once the sole domain of governments, the military and the intelligence community. Now they are part of the every-day business world, and the world of terrorists as well.

Mobile communications tools -- cell phones, Blackberries and other technologies -- are available in all corners of the globe, to anyone who has the means to own them.

Often, new technologies cannot be effectively intercepted by law enforcement or national security agencies. Although these agencies may have judicial authorization to carry out an intercept, the lack of a technical solution prevents them from lawfully gaining access to the information.

Technology, of course, is not the only thing that has changed the global threat environment.

In a few short years, we have gone from facing a state threat to an individual threat. It used to be much easier to know who the "bad guys" were and where they were coming from -- to watch them and to intercept their communications.

Now, we face adversaries that are far more unpredictable and far more difficult to identify. We have gone from monitoring the actions and intentions of states to monitoring individuals in a crowd.

This new environment is also borderless. Adherence to the views of radical groups has spread around the world, so issues of containment are far more complex.

It is estimated that upwards of 80,000 operatives have been trained in al-Qaeda terrorist camps over the years. Many have since dispersed to 60 countries around the world, where they may or may not be part of terrorist cells waiting for the call to action. We know some of them, and we are watching them. But we cannot know or watch them all.

In this new environment, where heightened and sustained vigilance is the new reality for Canada and its allies, public expectations are also increasing.

People are more knowledgeable about world events and the threats that exist to public safety and security. But they also have high expectations of what government can and should do about them.

They expect governments to take the necessary steps to protect them, and that is certainly not unreasonable. But our citizens also expect us to do this without sacrificing the rights, freedoms and openness of a democratic society.

In a country such as Canada, with our Charter of Rights and Freedoms and a constitution that focuses on the rights of the individual, rather than the collectivity, this is a difficult and complex balancing act. Yet we continue to respond in a measured way that reflects the values and interests of all Canadians.

December 12th Announcements

Last month, in her first major speech on this subject, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, the Honourable Anne McLellan, made clear her views on this subject. "It must be understood that the core responsibility of any government is to ensure the safety and security of its citizens," said Minister McLellan. "These are the foundations for every other right of citizenship, the essential conditions for every other freedom."

Meeting that responsibility, especially in the new threat environment of the 21^st century, requires unprecedented communication and collaboration, both at the domestic level and internationally. It is vital that we identify and close security gaps, that we pool resources and expertise, and that we share knowledge and information.

Recognizing the need for improved coordination in this area, on December 12^th Prime Minister Martin announced that Canada would bring together in one place the core functions of security and intelligence, policing and enforcement, corrections and crime prevention, border services and border integrity, immigration enforcement and emergency management.

The creation of this new Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness portfolio allows us to meet vital emergency preparedness, border integrity and key national security obligations under the leadership of a single, senior cabinet minister.

The integrated portfolio includes the department, which I head up as Deputy Minister. It also includes the RCMP, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the Canadian Firearms Centre, the Correctional Service of Canada and the National Parole Board.  The newly created Canada Border Services Agency is also a key component of the portfolio and brings together customs, immigration and food inspection border security functions.

The new portfolio establishes a clear centre of responsibility and accountability for addressing public safety and security issues.

It will facilitate good relationships between Canadian law enforcement agencies working within Canada, on our borders, and with our international partners.

It will allow the government to better coordinate the contributions of key departments and agencies involved in planning for and responding to terrorist attacks, natural disasters or public emergencies.

In short, we are now in a better position to communicate more effectively and operate more strategically to protect Canadians.

The importance Canada’s new government places on public safety and security has been demonstrated in other ways. Prime Minister Martin has appointed for the first time an Associate Minister of National Defence and Minister of State for Civil Preparedness, who will assist Minister McLellan in coordinating a government-wide response to national security, public health, natural disaster and other types of emergencies.

Two Parliamentary Secretaries have been assigned to work with the Minister on the issues of emergency preparedness and border transit. And the government has appointed a National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, also a first for Canada.

The new Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness brings together the public safety and security functions of the previous Department of the Solicitor General and the Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness, which was formerly part of the Department of National Defence. The third organization integrated into the new department is the National Crime Prevention Centre, which was formerly housed in the Justice department.

Each of these organizations has a strong record of achievement and service to Canadians. But as one group, rather than three, we can build on existing strengths and create opportunities for new synergies across a wide spectrum of public safety programs and initiatives.

We are in the process of restructuring the department to rationalize our operations and facilitate these new synergies. The new structure not only responds to government priorities identified on December 12^th, but also addresses some of the gaps in the public safety system recently identified by Canada’s Auditor General.

Let me tell you about some of our near-term priorities as a department.

Interoperability Project

At the top of the list is a comprehensive Public Safety and Security Information Sharing and Interoperability project that will provide the Government of Canada with a framework and strategy to better integrate information systems among all organizations having a significant role in delivering public safety and security.

In fact, I am pleased to announce that we are officially launching this project today, with the goal of ensuring that essential information related to the safeguarding of our nation, its citizens and our international partners is available, accurate, legal, consistent and timely.

Both the Office of the Auditor General and the Senate Committee on National Security and Defence have identified the lack of information sharing as a serious barrier to preventing crime and acts of terrorism in Canada. The Auditor General has also pointed out the need for a framework to guide investment management, priorities and decision-making on information sharing.

The interoperability project will endeavour to uncover all essential information-sharing needs and provide the government with a viable plan for moving forward. Within six months, a dedicated project team will identify and recommend solutions to urgent and critical issues related to information sharing across the public safety and security community. Within 18 months, this team will provide the government with a framework and long-term strategy for achieving and maintaining a more cohesive and fully integrated information-sharing environment in the interests of public safety.

The interoperability project is not about sharing all information with all people. It’s about the right people having the right information at the right time. Our front-line resources in particular -- police and border control officers -- are asking the government to make sure that the information they need to do their jobs is readily available to them.

Officials from my department will have more to say on the interoperability project during this conference.

National Security Policy

Another priority for our department is to support Minister McLellan in developing and implementing Canada’s first National Security Policy.  The government’s intentions in this regard were also announced by the Prime Minister on December 12^th, and were reaffirmed in the Speech from the Throne in February.

The development of an integrated National Security Policy is a major step forward in strengthening Canada’s security environment. The Prime Minister has asked Minister McLellan to lead this government-wide effort and to work closely with the National Security Advisor, Rob Wright, to articulate Canada’s core national security threats and a blueprint for action to strengthen our ability to protect these national security interests.

The policy will establish principles that will guide us in assuring the security of Canada while safeguarding the rights and freedoms of our citizens. We will be looking in particular at the need to balance security requirements with the need to facilitate the flow of people, goods and services across our borders.

While I cannot provide details at this time, I can tell you that the policy’s overarching objectives will be to protect the physical safety and security of Canadians at home and abroad; to continue to ensure that Canada is not a base for threats to others; and to contribute to the development of a more effective international security system.

Lawful Access

I mentioned earlier the issue of lawful access, and the challenges we face in intercepting new technologies. Updating Canada’s lawful access legislation, which dates to the 1970s, is also a top priority for my department.

To this end, the government is undertaking a careful review of our lawful access laws with a view to bringing them into the 21st century. Specifically, a new act will be brought forward for consideration by Parliament to compel telephone and Internet companies to make sure that their systems have the technical capability to provide lawful access. Similar legislation is already in place in the United States, the United Kingdom and other international partners.

This is not about giving police new interception powers. The new legislative proposal will be a careful and reasonable modernization of our laws so that the police and CSIS can continue to do their jobs and keep Canadians safe. The legislative proposals will strike a balance between public safety, privacy rights and industry’s ability to compete.

Stakeholders from across Canada, including privacy groups, industry representatives, legal professionals and police associations, have been consulted on the new legislation. Their insight and perspectives are essential to ensuring our lawful access legislation remains effective and balanced.

National Emergency Preparedness and Response

Improving Canada’s emergency preparedness and response capabilities is another area that will be receiving focused attention in the coming weeks and months.

In the world of emergency management, the keyword is coordination. That means everyone must know -- and accept -- who does what. As basic as that sounds, it’s absolutely fundamental to an effective emergency management system.

At the federal level, we are moving forward with the creation of a new Government Operations Centre that will be the central focus for federal emergency readiness and response responsibilities. This new unit within the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness will expand and build on the strengths of the existing Government Emergency Operations Coordination Centre.

Effective coordination also requires closely knit and integrated national plans. Already in place are the National Support Plan (NSP) and the National Counter-Terrorism Plan (NCTP). To be truly prepared, Canada must also engage in large-scale, joint exercises covering the full spectrum of hazards and threats, from earthquakes to cyber attacks. A national plan is being developed to provide a framework for these exercises, which will engage federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments in Canada, the private sector, our U.S. counterparts and other international partners.

Critical Infrastructure Protection and Cyber Security

Canada is also taking steps to improve the protection of its national critical infrastructure -- both physical structures like bridges, canals and pipelines, as well as information-based networks and services, such as those in the financial and communications sectors. These are essential to the functioning of Canadian society, and governments are expected to work to reduce their vulnerability to all hazards, including the new threats from terrorism.

Canada’s critical infrastructures are highly connected and highly dependent on common information technologies including the Internet. Cyber security is therefore integral to better assuring our national critical infrastructure. For this reason, the Government of Canada will be moving quickly to work with other governments and the private sector to coordinate and bolster cyber security efforts.

To ensure the resilience and continuity of critical services to Canadians, it is important to establish ongoing, dynamic, national and international partnerships among critical infrastructure owners, operators and governments.

The new Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness will continue to build these partnerships through the National Critical Infrastructure Assurance Program. This program focuses on ways to better understand and assure Canada’s critical infrastructure. We will take steps to be better prepared to respond to and recover from any disruptions or failures.

These tasks will involve our collective effort to first raise awareness about the issues and identify critical elements to assess threats and vulnerabilities, and to improve our warning and reporting capabilities. This will require better sharing of often-sensitive information between the public and private sectors, enhanced cross-sector and trans-boundary coordination, and the development and exercising of response and recovery strategies.

Building on Post 9-11 Initiatives

These and other initiatives are part and parcel of the government’s response to the tragic events of September 11, 2001. They are key components of an anti-terrorism plan implemented in the aftermath of 9-11 that includes new legislation, improved cooperation with our allies, and the investment of an additional $7.7 billion throughout the country to enhance security, while ensuring that our borders remain open and efficient to legitimate commerce and travellers.

For example, Canada has equipped and deployed more intelligence and frontline investigative personnel. Live-scan, digital fingerprint machines and document readers have been installed at major border offices. Security at airports has been enhanced by the new Canadian Air Transport Security Authority.

In January 2003, the Government of Canada announced a $172.5 million package of initiatives to further enhance the security of Canada’s marine transportation system and maritime borders. Canada has also improved screening of immigrants, refugee claimants and visitors, and we have begun issuing a new permanent resident card that is highly resistant to alteration or duplication.

Much of our efforts since September the 11^th have focussed on working with the United States to ensure that our borders are safe and efficient, both to address potential terrorist threats and to facilitate the $1.9 billion in daily trade between our two countries. Under the umbrella of the Smart Border Declaration signed by Canada and the U.S. in December 2001, remarkable progress has been made in achieving that goal. Based on this early success, Minister McLellan and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge have agreed to deepen and strengthen Canada-U.S. border security cooperation.

Canada’s safety and security community also received a boost from the recent federal budget, which included a new security contingency reserve. We now have an additional $605 million over five years for security. These funds will be used to address priorities such as intelligence enhancement, marine security, integrated threat assessments, cyber security, emergency response and enhanced coordination of systems -- including, for example, modernizing the RCMP's fingerprint and criminal records systems.

Conclusion

In closing, let me just say that Canada will continue to look for new means of sharing information and enhancing cooperation in our domestic security community and with our allies around the world.

Next month, I will be hosting a meeting of federal, provincial and territorial Deputy Ministers who have emergency management responsibilities. And only last week I was in Washington to meet with Deputy Secretary Loy and other senior officials of the Department of Homeland Security.

These meetings -- and conferences such as the one we are opening this morning -- will contribute to a better understanding of mutual interests and concerns and to healthy new relationships at many levels.

I wish you success over the next two days, and into the future, as we continue to work together on behalf of Canadians and people around the world who value peace, safety and prosperity.