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The federal government will face intense scrutiny – perhaps even a constitutional challenge – when it introduces legislation to give its spies more legal powers, say experts on the work of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney Thursday announced that amendments will come as early as next week to the act governing CSIS, the country’s spy agency.

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“We cannot be complacent in the face of terrorism,” said Blaney, who was meeting his provincial counterparts in Banff, Alta. “We are firmly committed to take action against the threat of individuals who become radicalized.”

Blaney said the government will amend the CSIS Act in two ways.

One measure would let CSIS work more closely with its allies in the “Five Eyes” spy network, which is made up of Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. This would allow CSIS to obtain information from the others on Canadians fighting abroad with terror groups, and would allow it to help another Five Eyes country track its nationals working with terror groups in Canada.