Those same advances in technology give our security and intelligence organizations unprecedented ability to interfere with the personal rights and freedoms of Canadians. The Committee received no evidence that our security and intelligence community acts illegally or unconstitutionally. However, the presence of those abilities will always be a temptation, or create public unease or suspicion. One of the objectives of this Committee, therefore, was to consider the need for enhanced review mechanisms to guard against the abuse or excessive use of power and to give the public as much confidence as possible in this regard. I wish to thank my fellow Committee members.
Committee reports by their nature reflect a consensus of views.
It will come as no surprise to anyone that this Committee had a divergence of views on several matters, and those divergences were subordinated to the need to achieve a consensus. I look forward to the debate in the Senate Chamber on this Report where, I trust, Committee members will bring their individual perspectives to the very important, complicated and sensitive matters canvassed in this Report. In essence, the Committee's mandate was to pick up from where the previous Senate Special Committees on Terrorism and Public Safety had left off. Those Committees reported in June 1987 and in May 1989. The Special Committee on Security and Intelligence conducted hearings from May 26, through to November 5, 1998.