The Liberal government has blown past its own deadline to review a major national security law that gave Canada’s security and intelligence agencies sweeping new powers by three years.
Bill C-59 reshaped Canada’s national security landscape in June 2019, establishing the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) Act, making significant changes to how the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) operates, and putting in place civilian review and oversight of the intelligence community for the first time.
Given the significance of the changes, the Liberals wrote into the legislation that Parliament must review the new national security regime within four years, in 2023. That didn’t happen.
Documents obtained by Global News show the chair of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA) raised the missed deadline with Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree in a November 2025 meeting.
Ten months later, Anandasangaree’s office said it’s not up to him to initiate the review. That power rests with Parliament — where Anandasangaree’s party has held power for the last 11 years.
“Parliamentary reviews are undertaken by Parliament, and their timing is ultimately determined through parliamentary processes,” wrote Simon Lafortune, a spokesperson for Anandasangaree’s office, in a statement to Global News.
“The government remains committed to supporting Parliament in its work, including with respect to the review of national security and intelligence legislation.”
Jean-Yves Duclos, the Liberal chair of the House of Commons’ public safety committee that would likely undertake the parliamentary review, did not respond to a request for comment.
Stephanie Carvin, a professor at Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Relations and a former CSIS analyst, said in an interview that the missed deadline speaks to successive federal governments’ “lack of national security interest.”
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“National security legislation in this country tends to follow a crisis,” Carvin said.
Those crises include laws passed after the 9/11 attacks, the Conservatives’ Bill C-51 after the 2014 attack on Parliament, and the Liberals’ response with C-59.
“If you think about the way we pass these bills, we tend to only pass legislation every 10 years, and usually in omnibus legislation,” Carvin said.
“And then we forget about it.”
There is a level of “review fatigue” within Canada’s national security community, Carvin added, after two high-profile public probes into law enforcement and national security agencies’ operations in recent years. The Public Order Emergency Commission in 2022 examined the Trudeau government’s invocation of the Emergencies Act to deal with the Ottawa convoy protests, while in 2024 Justice Marie-Josée Hogue led a months-long inquiry into foreign interference in Canadian politics.
Both shed significant light on how the federal government approaches national security issues and on the operations of various policing, security and intelligence agencies themselves.
At the same time, however, Carvin noted that CSIS has practically been begging the federal government for years to review the legislation that underpins its operations. That hasn’t happened since the 1980s, meaning Canada’s main intelligence agency is still operating within a legal framework established before the modern internet existed.
CSIS’s 2025 annual report, for instance, suggested that tweaks to its legislation over the last four decades “have been outstripped by the speed of evolving national security threats.”
“Compared to its allies, Canada faces considerable challenges in collecting the intelligence needed to protect Canadians, inform decision-making, and advance Canada’s interests,” the report, released earlier this year, suggested.
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The CSE, which functions as both the country’s top cyber defence and espionage agency, is operating in a very different environment than when C-59 made it a distinct entity from the Department of National Defence. The agency, which handles Canada’s cybersecurity and defence as well as digital espionage and signals intelligence, operated away from public scrutiny for most of its existence — but is now working more closely with the private sector and public agencies.
Parliament has not reviewed CSE’s legal authorizations to determine if they’re sufficient for operating in that new context.
“(The CSE Act) is now eight years old, in an era where we’re dealing with different kinds of threats, especially ones driven by AI, new concerns about sovereignty,” Carvin said.
“We are desperate to review to see whether or not the CSE Act is as up to date as needed … and I actually think CSE would welcome that conversation.”
A parliamentary review of the Liberals’ national security legislation would not necessarily cover all those issues. But according to the government’s own law, the review has to be “comprehensive” and assess the effect of C-59 on the operations of CSIS, the CSE and the RCMP, as well as the interaction of those agencies with newly created civilian review and oversight bodies.
That includes the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA), a part-time committee that has a mandate to review any activities or complaints made against CSIS or CSE.
A December 2025 briefing note for Michael Sabia, the country’s top bureaucrat, noted that relations between NSIRA and the intelligence community have been rocky in the first years of the review committee’s operations.
“There are an increasing number of disagreements between the security and intelligence community and NSIRA that either are, or are at risk of, being brought to the courts system for resolution,” the memo, obtained under the access to information law, read.
The briefing note did anticipate there would be a future parliamentary review of Bill C-59 and Canada’s intelligence oversight system, although the details have been censored from the document’s public release.
I also stem from a generational line of liberal voters and understand everyone is a criminal now, so we need cameras and microphones (Flock and Genetec Cloudrunner CR-H2 cameras) and more datacentres to host iMotion ROC AI surveillance software like they are doing in Quebec. They need to be installed on every corner, street, highway, path and driveway by 2030. We need to legislate access for AI police services to remotely deactivate everyone’s automobiles to lock down people during emergencies to prevent alleged suspects from fleeing. We also need to ban guns because it’s the only way to get guns off the street and out of the hands of criminals. Gary Asslonglastname is the chipmunk to get these tough jobs done.
Well as a lifelong Liberal Party supporter and voter all I got to say is I voted for the Elbows Up guy.Saw him in a couple of those Austin Powers movies and judging by the way he dealt with that Mr Evil guy I figured he is the man we need to handle Trump.So far he’s doing a great job,the US hasn’t invaded us and affordability has never been better.
F*ducking Trump ,PeePee and Harper. I’m going to pull out all of my hair and slam my face on the concrete wall of the Welfare office if they don’t resign immediately.
Suck on that Conservatives
I agree with every Liberal on here and I know every Liberal on here agrees with me when I say its all Harper, Peepee and Trumps fault.It was Maple MAGA that caused our greatest PM with the wonderful hair, (which is why many of us voted for him by the way) Justin Trudeau to leave his position. He was so handsome and smart and now he’s gone thanks to the racists.
Justin Trudeau will live in the hearts of Liberals forever and you can’t take him away from us.
Let me guess one of those countries. Its China, know to repo our products, and resell to us. But the people voted for another government that deals with a basic democracy, right.
Audo, who’s on the top of the DEI pyramid today… White people or Jews? Whos on the bottom according to you? Canada is a dumpster fire because you decided somehow violent people deserve sympathy because of their skin colour.
Victims get no justice and live in fear because of people like you deciding others are not responsible for their actions.
Rapes skyrocketing, cant imagine why. The Canadian news doesnt serve the public anymore. Just like Britain.
The system wasn’t racist before. It is now.
Why are the Poilievre conservatives blocking this review? Good grief!
BUT BUT BUT… POLLIEVRE. You libs are pathetic.
We can always rely on the “Cassie’s” of the world to offer no reply, no explanation, or no point.
The problem is not so much a lack of interest in a review. The problem is, when the review points out the government did something wrong (as in the Emergency measures act) nothing is done about it.
It should force the person(s) involved to pay a penalty. Trudeau and Freeland continued taking bows for their crime. – several years later, there is still no consequences.
The LPC has been found to have violated Canadian law as well as the Chaarter of Rights and Freedoms repeatedly
Expecting them to care now is foolish
The people in the comments blaming the conservatives are the real problem. The liberals have been in power for the last decade and even hold a majority government now. They don’t even need the consent of the other parties to get stuff done. If you’re still blaming conservatives, then maybe you are more aligned with the mega people down south then you think. You’re guilty of the same thing. Stay blind to your own parties flaws and just blame the other party
This news agency isn’t funded by conservatives or whoever mini maga is purported to be. Conservatives are not the group holding parliamentary office. GN is privately owned by Corus and uses automated AI to screen comments. Try again, anonymous.
Mini MAGA isn’t apologizing in the comments for their Poilievre conservative party blocking this review. Where is the accountability from the conservative party?!
After the past 11 years, the LPC has proven time and again that not one of their MP’s are fit for their duties. Heck, they still haven’t answered one question in QP with a straight answer. Carnival Carney and his predecessor are always on vacation.
It seems that the current Minister responsible for this portfolio may not be the right person for the job, particularly considering the numerous pitfalls and shortcomings that have occurred since he took over the ministerial position.
There is also a perception that his appointment may have been influenced by the fact that he was an early supporter of Mr. Carney’s leadership bid. If that is the case, it raises legitimate questions about whether appointments are being made based on merit and qualifications rather than political loyalty.
Regardless of political affiliation, Canadians deserve ministers who are competent, accountable and capable of managing their portfolios effectively.
Sad for Canada.
Comical at the least to see Liberals on here defending Carney’s failures and blaming Poilievre after their last leader,the Boy Blunder Trudeau was so incompetent he got kicked out by his own party.Keep up the good work Elbozos,by this time next year your elitist bankers approval will be in the gutter just like your last Dribbler of Disaster
Liberals are Govt and their House Leader controls the Parliamentary Agenda. This isn’t controlled by the other parties.Clearly, this isn’t a priority to Carney and his cronies.
@Never PP – Sorry, they can’t “block” the review. Carney has a majority now on the committees, and before could work with other parties if they really wanted to.
More corruption disguised at “bureaucracy”
Sadly, the Poilievre Conservatives are blocking the review. They never vote for anything that helps Canadians, like larger GST rebates, school lunches, etc. Disappointing.
Let me fix your head line. Liberals Blow. Period.
First Ben(dover); then Benoit and now Benyemen. At keast he’s consistent.
As to you Cassie blaming conservatives: who has the majority?
@Matthew. DEI? DEI is there only to rectify distortions in the labour market. It makes sure all qualified applicants are considered, and doesn’t favour one group over another. You said experts are lying? What possible inducement would they have to lie? Good grief!
The Carney liberals are no different than the Trudeau liberals
Worst government in our history
Remember how they used our tax dollars to invest in a cricket farm because they thought if we switched to crickets for protein they would save the world?
Yeah, that’s just blatant malfeasance. I wonder how many of them donated the maximum allowable to the Liberal party after being paid millions to raise crickets.
Crickets. Any guesses as to the cost to raise crickets? It’s called a cardboard box.
Every venture they “invested” in has gone belly up, withdrawn from what was clearly a terribly written contract, is unfinished, or not even started.
Remember, they were gonna “build, build, build”?
According to Statscan, the construction sector, year-over-year, net new jobs rests at 0 to slightly positive. Not what should be seen with a building boom.
Absolutely typical of the Poilievre conservatives to block this review. The conservatives are devoid of ideas and just natter from the sidelines. If only the conservatives were on Team Canada instead of trying to score cheap political points.
To continue…
They are sabotaging our economy, and blaming a foreigner for all of their problems because they hit peak DEI.
They claim Trump is a big meanie while daily our news media can be seen on full assault of, not his policies, but his existence (see: peak DEI).
Politicians routinely attack the President and meet behind closed doors with a foreign governments Opposition party in what can only be described as the height of non-violent political interference.
They claim poverty at home while blowing billions on foreign aid.
It’s “experts” blatantly lie about environmental records being broken, and claim climate change is the reason for our Forrest fire season being mismanaged when most are clear, undeniable cases of arson.
They claim to be environmentalists because they instituted a tax, that generates income to be dolled out to corrupt insiders with zero accountability.
I have a mountain of “reusable bags” that cannot actually be used for anything because, whoops, they didn’t think that far when they banned 1 single use plastic, maybe 2?
Oh, bravo on the environmental front. Fruits and vegetables, are wrapped in plastic, which is not good for them, but hey, effort is boring.
We are going to build clean nuclear, by importing it and killing our own industry – yes – Canada has more Uranium than almost any other country on the planet but we are going to rely on another outside country to do what we are capable of doing for ourselves.
And the kicker? Their supporters cannot even make valid arguments to support their party. They quote headlines and claim unquoted scientists and the existence of studies they neither know the name of anymore than they read one.
At best, they are parrot trolls.
Carney is to busy to deal with this as he likes to hide from Canadians and take opulent vacations in Italy
Gary Anadasangaree has proven to be a very incompetent Minister in the Carney Regime.
Isn’t Gary Anandsangaree with Minoster of Public Safety and his Party is in power and they control the Parliamentary agenda. Talk about passing the buck
Anonymous. The Conservatives can’t block it. Carney now has a majority and can’t Carney (if your comment was actually true) work with other parties to push thru the legislation? They do it all the time.
The Liberals are a national security threat and it’s time for aging Boomers to accept their fate: they supported a corrupt party.
Now, before they get embarrassed and shamed like Germans, it is time for them to bow out.
A student that had a MP intervene in his immigration to overturn their rejection is accused of being a spy and trying to acquire restricted knowledge.
4 Chinese students at Western accused of making a bomb.
Another Chinese student gets a cacophony of highly classified work and is arrested for spying at NATO headquarters.
Evidence put forward by our intelligence community that MPs were colluding with foreign governments, they sealed for 100 years.
They are openly violating our Constitution, our Rights and Freedoms and spying on Canadians every text.
THEY ARE THE ENEMY.
The Poilevre conservatives are blocking the review in Parliament and trying to block everything. Why not say this
The Carney regime isn’t a serious Govt. What is more important than National Security. They had to be dragged kicking and screaming to get the Foreign Agents Registry Set Up.
A non issue because there are bigger threats like the USA trade war. Many say a significant issue is Poilievre’s lack of security clearance. Why can’t he get one?
The biggest risk to Canada is the blatant corruption from the Prime Minister Mark Carney. He’s funneling billions of tax payer into his own companies at our expense . Why won’t they investigate that?