Nicholson named to top-secret committee
Niagara Falls MP Rob Nicholson has been appointed to the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians.
The committee serves as an independent, high-level review body of Canada’s national security and intelligence organizations.
Nicholson said his name was submitted for consideration by Conservative leader Andrew Scheer to the office of Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Nicholson will fill one of two vacancies in spots reserved for Conservative MPs on the 11member committee.
“I’m looking forward to it,” said Nicholson.
“Certainly, I had a lot of highsecurity briefings in my years in the different portfolios that I’ve had. It’s a good fit for me and I look forward to working with the other members.”
The veteran federal politician was one of former prime minister Stephen Harper’s go-to-politicians during the Tories’ nearly 10 years in power between 2006 and 2015.
During that period, he served at different times as minister of foreign affairs, national defence, justice and attorney general.
The committee was established in 2017.
Nicholson said the oversight body shares information with similar committees in what is known as the other Five Eyes alliance countries — Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
“The credibility of the committee rests in part on its multipartite, bicameral membership, allowing it to review sensitive national security and intelligence issues from a non-partisan perspective,” said David McGuinty, Liberal MP and chairman of the committee.
“With his experience as a parliamentarian and as a former minister, Mr. Nicholson will add an informed voice to the committee’s deliberations.”
As part of its mandate, the committee may review the legislative, regulatory, policy, administrative and financial framework for national security and intelligence; any activity carried out by a department that relates to national security or intelligence, unless the activity is an ongoing operation and the appropriate minister determines that the review would be injurious to
national security; and any matter relating to national security or intelligence that a minister of the Crown refers to the committee.
Committee members hold the highest level of security clearance, meet in private and are permanently bound to secrecy under the Security of Information Act.
The committee is composed of lawmakers from both houses of Canada’s parliament and represent all major political parties and groups. They have a range of experience, including from government, academia and the private sector, and represent perspectives from across Canada. The committee works on a collegial and non-partisan basis.
The committee must submit an annual report to the prime minister that includes the reviews conducted in the preceding year. It may also complete a special report on any matter related to its mandate, at any times. The prime minister causes committee reports to be tabled in both houses of parliament, which are then referred to the appropriate Senate and House of Commons committees.