Consultation on National Security From Public Safety Canada Current status: Closed This consultation took place from September 8, 2016 to December 15, 2016.

The Government of Canada believes that it is important for Canadians to be informed and engaged on Canada's national security framework.

As part of the Government's commitment to openness and transparency, Public Safety Canada and the Department of Justice Canada consulted Canadians on key elements of Canada's national security laws and policies to ensure they reflect the rights, values and freedoms of Canadians.

Why

This public consultation will help inform future changes to national security tools, including those introduced in the Anti-terrorism Act, 2015 (former Bill C-51), to ensure that Canada's national security framework is effective in keeping Canadians safe, while also safeguarding our values in a free and democratic society.

Who

All Canadians were invited and encouraged to participate. We wanted to hear from security stakeholders, Canadian Parliamentarians, experts, academics, and all Canadians who are interested in national security and counter-terrorism efforts or in improving government policy related to national security.

What's next?

The input received during the consultation was instrumental in the development of Bill C-59, the proposed legislation to update Canada’s national security framework.



An independent report provides an overview of what was heard during the consultation. The Government has also provided responses to the House of Commons committees that studied issues under consideration in the consultation: the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, and the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics.

Past Events

For a look at the supporting documents for the consultation, please visit Our Security, Our Rights: National Security Green Paper, 2016 or the associated background document