ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO COUNTER TERRORISM

The Government of Canada is committed to keeping Canadians safe and is working to help ensure law enforcement agencies have the resources they need to defend Canadians from those who would do us harm.

To this end, Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced the intention to provide long-term support for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to help counter terrorism.

For the RCMP, the Prime Minister announced $150.36 million over five years beginning in 2015-2016 and $46.79 million per year thereafter, on an ongoing basis. The support would enhance the organization’s capacity to conduct criminal investigations related to terrorism.  This would include bolstering front-line policing through the five RCMP-led Integrated National Security Enforcement Teams and enhancing investigative capacities abroad.

For the CBSA, the Prime Minister also announced $5.40 million over five years beginning in 2015-2016 and $1.1 million per year thereafter, on an ongoing basis. The support would enhance the Agency’s capacity to identify high-risk travellers, and support the Agency’s participation in the RCMP-led National Security Joint Operations Centre, which coordinates the Government of Canada’s response to the most pressing cases of high-risk travel in a manner that is timely, effective and accountable.

The Economic Action Plan (EAP) 2015 support announced today will require parliamentary approval.

Today’s announcement is part of a number of measures undertaken by the Government of Canada to strengthen Canada’s national security. These include:

• Through measures included in EAP 2015, including the Prevention of Terrorist Travel Act and amendments to the Canadian Passport Order, the Government has taken measures to strengthen Canada’s ability to cancel, refuse or revoke passports as a preventative measure against high-risk travellers.
• The Protection of Canada from Terrorists Act, which received Royal Assent on April 23, 2015. This legislation contains targeted amendments to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act to ensure our intelligence agency has the tools it needs to investigate threats to the security of Canada and ensure our collective safety and security.
• The Anti-terrorism Act 2015, which has been introduced to ensure that Canadian law enforcement and national security agencies can effectively investigate and counter those who advocate terrorism and take part in terrorist activities, prevent terrorist travel by air and the efforts of those who seek to use Canada as a recruiting ground, and disrupt planned attacks on Canadian soil.
• Canada’s current military contribution against ISIS, known as Operation IMPACT, was recently extended for up to 12 months, until March 30, 2016, and expanded to include airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria.
• The Citizenship Act, which was amended in 2014, to enable the government to revoke Canadian citizenship from dual citizens and deny it to permanent residents who are convicted of terrorism, high treason, treason or spying offences, depending on the sentence.
• The Combating Terrorism Act, which since 2013 has made it a criminal offence to leave or attempt to leave Canada for the purposes of participating in or facilitating terrorist activity.
• Canada’s Counter-terrorism Strategy, introduced in 2012, which guides more than 20 federal organizations in their efforts to prevent, detect, deny and respond to the threat of terrorism.

Office of the Prime Minister – Communication