Prime Minister Mark Carney wants sweeping new powers over Canada’s telecommunications system. But according to a recent Wall Street Journal report, when it comes to his own communications, he’s reportedly relying on a U.K.-based cellphone to communicate with foreign leaders.
If true, the irony is impossible to ignore.
The Carney government is pushing Bill C-22, legislation that would significantly expand Ottawa’s authority over Canada’s telecommunications sector in the name of national security. The bill would give the federal government broad powers to issue security orders to telecommunications companies, require providers to comply with government directives, and increase federal oversight of Canada’s communications infrastructure.
Canadians are being told these extraordinary powers are necessary because secure communications matter.
Apparently, that principle may not apply to the Prime Minister himself.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Carney has continued using a British cellphone while speaking with foreign leaders. If that reporting is accurate, Canadians deserve answers.
The issue isn’t simply where the phone was purchased; it’s about whether the Prime Minister is following the same security, transparency, and record-keeping standards imposed on everyone else in government, and now on the public.
Among the questions that should be answered:
- Communications security: Was the device approved for sensitive government communications under standards established by the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) and Treasury Board?
- Government records: Were official calls, text messages and other communications retained in accordance with the Library and Archives of Canada Act and federal information management policies?
- Access to Information: If government business was conducted using a foreign device or foreign telecommunications provider, are those records preserved in a manner that complies with the Access to Information Act, or could they be more difficult for Canadians to obtain?
- Government device policies: Was the phone issued, managed and secured by the Government of Canada, or was it a personal device used for official business?
- Foreign jurisdiction: Were official communications routed or stored through infrastructure subject to U.K. law, and what security assessment was conducted before using that device to communicate with foreign leaders?
- Bill C-22: Why is the government demanding unprecedented oversight of Canadian telecommunications providers on national security grounds while the Prime Minister reportedly relies on a foreign telecommunications provider for his own communications?
Ottawa insists foreign technology, foreign influence and foreign infrastructure pose national security concerns. Yet the Prime Minister himself reportedly chose a foreign cellphone and foreign carrier while conducting international diplomacy.
Hellbound and Down 