Five MPs join national security and intelligence committee of parliamentarians

OTTAWA — The committee of parliamentarians that oversees the security and intelligence community is almost doubling in size with the addition of five MPs.

The Prime Minister’s Office has appointed Conservatives Leona Alleslev and Rob Morrison, Liberals Peter Fragiskatos and Iqra Khalid and the Bloc Quebecois’ Stephane Bergeron to the committee.

They join Liberal MP David McGuinty, who is committee chairman, Liberal MP Brenda Shanahan, New Democrat MP Don Davies, Sen. Vern White, Sen. Frances Lankin and Sen. Dennis Dawson.

The National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, established in 2017, has the authority to review sensitive activities across the federal government.

The committee is currently studying the federal policing mandate of the RCMP as well as documents related to the firing of two scientists from a high-security laboratory in Winnipeg.

The committee submits classified reports to the prime minister, which are later tabled in Parliament in edited form.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15, 2021.

News from © Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. 2021.