Public Safety Minister weighing security screening reforms after NATO espionage arrest
Gary Anandasangaree reviewing recommendations from CSIS and RCMP following July arrest of Canadian intern suspected of spying.
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Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree told a House of Commons committee on Monday, October 5, that the federal government is weighing recommendations for reforms to public service security screening, prompted by the arrest of a Canadian national suspected of spying for a third country while working as a NATO intern.
Belgian authorities arrested the suspect on July 25. Media reports identify her as Biwei Zhang (also known as Claire), a Canadian of Chinese origin who worked as an intern at NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), the alliance's central military headquarters. She has not yet appeared in court, and the allegations have not been tested. Belgian authorities do not release defendant names ahead of trial.
Anandasangaree said he is reviewing "specific recommendations" from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police about the screening process. "We have work to do with respect to our security screening processes," he said, while adding: "By and large it is an unimpeachable record. Of course, there are gaps here, and I recognize there are gaps."
The minister was briefed on the case a week before information became public. In August, Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed Canadian officials were involved from the start but stopped short of saying whether the arrest would prompt a review of screening protocols.
About 200,000 security clearances are completed in the federal public service each year. A standard Canadian "secret" security clearance is required for NATO internship positions. Opposition MPs pressed Anandasangaree and officials from Treasury Board, Public Safety Canada, CSIS, and the RCMP on whether the screening process should have flagged an earlier finding of fraud against Zhang by the Public Service Commission. Zhang had worked at several federal departments and agencies over recent years.
Conservative MP Frank Caputo said: "It is a shame, and I think it's actually disgraceful, that it was Belgium that figured out a Canadian was spying, rather than Canada." Bloc Québécois MP Claude DeBellefeuille called the case "completely beyond the pale" and described it as "gross incompetence among several departments."
Did the screening process overlook or fail to act on the fraud finding against Zhang by the Public Service Commission?
Will the reforms allow for earlier detection of foreign intelligence recruitment attempts?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
By the numbers
When was the NATO intern suspected of spying arrested?
Belgian authorities arrested the suspect on July 25.
How many security clearances does Canada complete annually?
Approximately 200,000 security clearances are completed in the federal public service each year.
