Ottawa, ON – Alex Ruff, Conservative Member of Parliament for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, introduced Bill C-377, An Act to Amend the Parliament of Canada Act (need to know).
This bill will formalize the process for Parliamentarians to request a SECRET security clearance from the Government of Canada by deeming they need access to the information for the purposes of the processing of that request.
“Special ad hoc committees have been established to enable Parliamentarians to view classified documents, like in the case of the Winnipeg Lab scandal. This ad hoc process delays government accountability and transparency,” said MP Ruff.
Currently, individual Parliamentarians have a limited probability of obtaining a security clearance unless they possess one from a previous career or have been a member of a special committee. As a result, there have been recent impasses between the House of Commons and the Government concerning access to classified information.
“Ultimately, this Bill would increase Parliament’s ability to take national security and intelligence issues seriously while facilitating Parliament’s ability to not only hold the government to account but to increase Canadians’ trust in our federal democratic processes and institutions,” said MP Ruff. “I am hopeful that this bill will garner support from all parties as we aim to make Parliament and the Liberal Government of Canada more transparent and accountable to Canadians.”