Chair, I'll answer that question.

Parts of that are correct. For other parts I can provide a bit more clarity, perhaps. I'll be brief, because at times it's not a short, simple process, but other times it can be.

The easiest thing to say is that with security screening, the way it's conducted in the federal government is as per a Treasury Board standard. That standard lays out the responsibilities of those who actually take security in a department. One of their jobs will be to do security screening.

Essentially, the process starts—you are correct—when a person is considered for a position, or will be going into a position, or is being hired by the Public Service of Canada. Therefore, they are deemed...but that may not be the right word. They need to require access to a facility, access to assets, access to information technology, and so on. They must have a need in order to have a clearance.

Basically, the process begins when you're considered for a position. There are information assets and facilities. You don't ask for a clearance. Your department has decided that you need it. Then you as a candidate provide a range of information about yourself. You fill out forms. Some of you may have done that in the past. The department then collects that information about you. You are aware of this. In fact, you have to consent to all that. That's a key part. You're consenting to sharing your personal information and so on. You can look at things like work history, financial information records, maybe records of engagement with law enforcement in the past, your habits, your personal habits and your behaviours. There are searches of intelligence databases. There could be searches of the Internet, for example. There could be searches of national security holdings, some of your social media behaviour and so on.

All of this will be captured, or more, depending on what level you are looking at getting. It could be a top secret. It could be a secret. It could just be what's called a reliability status, which is the lowest.

Essentially, then, the decision-maker, like in administrative law, takes in all of this information and will send off a CSIS assessment, if required; a request for or a law enforcement check; or a request for or a financial check, if that's required. Basically, we'll take all this information and put that person through a judgment process. We'll take the totality of the information and think it through. Is there something that is causing concern? Is there something that would cause us to question their judgment, their trustworthiness or their reliability? If you're going to secret or top secret, you will then have questions around loyalty to Canada and reliability as it relates to loyalty.

If you come up to something where there is a concern, you may be called in for further security screening or questions. If not, you will proceed through the process.

It's important to say that if you do not get a security clearance, there is a right of redress. There are steps one must follow in order to address that redress, and the applicant has steps to follow if they disagree with the redress process.

Transcript

Discussions (0)