Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said today that reporters’ mobile phones are not being tracked at the federal level. He said he received assurances to that effect from the heads of the national police force, the RCMP, and the domestic spy agency, CSIS.
Trudeau said he, like all Canadians, was troubled by news that police in the province of Quebec had monitored the cell phones of several journalists to gather information about their contacts and their locations.
“Not only is freedom of the press important, it’s one of the foundational safeguards of a free democracy, of a free society,” said Trudeau. “This government understands that and understands how important it is to respect media and the press.”
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Trudeau went on to say there are very strong safeguards and protections in place to protect freedom of the press within the RCMP and CSIS. He said the government would look into the issue but would not provide specifics.
The leader of the opposition New Democratic Party, Tom Mulcair said in the House of Commons that he had raised the issue of police spying on reporters earlier this year and he asked the public safety minister whether he would hold a public inquiry at the federal level. The minister said no, but it was unclear whether that was no, there would not be an inquiry or no, spying was not going on at the federal level.
There will certainly be much more debate about the issue at the federal level.
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