Former public safety minister didn’t know about delayed spy warrant, he tells inquiry

By Laura Osman, The Canadian Press on October 11, 2024.

OTTAWA – Former public safety minister Bill Blair denies having any knowledge about delays in approving a spy service warrant in 2021 that may have included references to people in his own government.

A commission of inquiry into foreign interference has heard that it took 54 days for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warrant application to be approved by Blair.

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

Michelle Tessier, CSIS deputy director of operations during the period, has told the inquiry there was frustration with the delay.

In his testimony, Blair – who is now minister of national defence – said the existence of the warrant wasn’t brought to his attention until he saw an entry in his calendar that he would need to be briefed on a confidential matter by CSIS.

He didn’t know about the content of the warrant until he got that briefing, 54 days after the CSIS director and deputy public safety minister asked for his authorization, and signed it the same day.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2024.

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