Ex-chief of staff to public safety minister denies stalling spy warrant approval

By Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press on October 9, 2024.

Nathalie Drouin, Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council and National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister, prepares to appear before the Special Committee on the Canada-People's Republic of China Relationship, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Monday, April 29, 2024. Drouin is scheduled to appear today at a federal inquiry into foreign interference. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

OTTAWA – A former chief of staff to a Liberal public safety minister has denied suggestions she worked to stall approval of a spy service warrant in 2021 because it directly touched the operations of the Trudeau government.

Zita Astravas called the allegations categorically false during testimony late today at a federal inquiry into foreign interference.

The inquiry has heard that it took 54 days for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warrant application to be approved by Bill Blair, public safety minister at the time.

The average turnaround time for such applications is four to 10 days.

Blair has said he signed off on the warrant soon after it came to his attention.

A document tabled at the inquiry today says Astravas attended a briefing on the warrant application 13 days after CSIS sent it to Public Safety.