MidlandToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected] or via the website. Please include your full name, daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following letter is from Doug Lewis, in regards to the actions of Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety in the Liberal government.
My experience as Solicitor General in Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's Government and the actions of Bill Blair as Minister of Public Safety in this Liberal government (responsibilities the same) are vastly different.
As Solicitor General I was responsible for four agencies: the RCMP, CSIS, Canadian Border Services and the Parole Board. I quickly realized that CSIS was the top priority and instructed my staff to that end. We reviewed the responsibilities together and developed two additional rules.
First, CSIS matters were always at the top of the agenda and I was to be informed immediately of the nature of the matter. CSIS matters were top security and any material was to be dealt with accordingly and returned quickly. Warrants for my signature were to be forwarded to me, reviewed and signed back ASAP.
I remember spending about three hours on a Victoria Day weekend reviewing and signing my approval to a CSIS warrant that was flown in to Lake Simcoe Regional Airport and brought by an agent to my constituency office in Orillia.
I reviewed the media reports on the weekend of how Minister Blair and his staff handled a warrant to surveil Liberal power broker Michael Chan. Quite frankly it doesn't pass the smell test.
It took from mid-March to May 11 to be signed. His Chief of Staff never told him about it and apparently expressed concerns to CSIS “about some of the people who could be picked up in conversations with Mr. Chan through surveillance.” That tells me why she delayed bringing it to her Minister's attention. It was doubtful that they would be Conservatives.
During my tenure as Solicitor General I was informed that the RCMP had an office of a Liberal MP under surveillance. The Liberal MP and I were both elected in 1979. He was the son of a police officer and a lawyer. I had found him to be a sound and thoughtful MP. I asked if he knew about the surveillance. No, he didn't. I told the RCMP that if they didn't tell him I would. He was told by the RCMP the next day.
All in all, very disturbing.
Stay safe, Canada.
This letter was drafted last week. On Thanksgiving Monday I turned on the television and found the RCMP Commissioner giving a media conference. That was followed by a media conference by Dominic LeBlanc, current Minister of Public Safety who I consider to be the most competent Liberal Cabinet Minister. I am relieved that he is in charge rather than Bill Blair.
Doug Lewis,
Orillia
