Since 2017, at least three employees working in Canada’s public service had their security clearance revoked due to allegedly spying or acting on behalf of a foreign country.
This shocking information was revealed by the government in response to an Order Paper question in the House of Commons from Conservative MP John Barlow.
According to the government, two bureaucrats had their security clearance revoked in 2019 due to allegations of spying and another one in 2017. The public servants were employed by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
CBSA spokesperson Maria Ladouceur told The Hill Times that “the CBSA will revoke an employee’s security clearance when there is reasonable grounds to believe that the individual has engaged, is engaged, or may engage, in activities that constitute a threat to the security of Canada as defined in the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act or has disclosed, may disclose, may be induced to disclose, or may cause to be disclosed in an unauthorized way, sensitive information.”
The CBSA did not reveal which countries the employees were acting on behalf of nor if the employees were criminally charged.
The Hill Times reported that there is no public record of the three bureaucrats being criminally charged.
ESDC departmental spokesperson Mila Roy indicated that the individual who was employed by the ESDC had their employment terminated as well.
It is unclear if the other bureaucrats who had their security status stripped away are still employed by the public service.
According to the government, approximately 308 bureaucrats have had their security clearance revoked for cause since 2016. Public Services and Procurement Canada, the Canada Revenue Agency, and Employment and ESDC had the most individuals who had their clearance revoked.
Earlier this month, questions surrounding the threat of foreign interference arose when Canadian Security Intelligence Service officials reportedly leaked documents to the Globe and Mail which alleged Chinese state actors made concerted efforts to interfere in Canada’s elections.
