Canada’s national intelligence watchdog says federal budget cuts will sharply limit its ability to monitor the country’s spy agencies, forcing it to make “very difficult choices” about what activities it can review in the coming years.
The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA), which oversees the work of CSIS and several other federal intelligence bodies, is among the many government organizations preparing for reduced budgets under the federal spending plan unveiled last month. Ottawa aims to save $13 billion annually by 2028–29, with most departments expected to trim their budgets by 15 per cent over the next three years.
NSIRA vice-chair Craig Forcese told reporters Wednesday that the cuts mean the agency is likely to scale back the number of reviews it conducts each year. With fewer resources, he said, the watchdog will have to prioritize which intelligence operations it examines, despite the growing breadth of national security activities across government.
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree acknowledged that NSIRA will face financial constraints but said he intends to work with the agency to ensure its core oversight functions remain intact. The reductions come at a time when the federal government has introduced legislation expanding the authority of police and CSIS to collect information, while also giving the Canadian Coast Guard new powers to conduct security patrols and gather intelligence.
Forcese noted that some intelligence organizations already express discomfort when the watchdog scrutinizes their activities — something he said is natural. Oversight, he added, plays a crucial role in identifying problems early, acting as a “canary in the coal mine” that helps agencies improve before issues escalate.
NSIRA also handles complaints related to national security activities, including those involving CSIS, the RCMP and the Communications Security Establishment. In its 2024 annual report, tabled in Parliament this week, the agency reported a significant rise in complaint investigations linked to delays in immigration security screening.
CSIS provides security assessments for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency. According to the report, CSIS told NSIRA that the time required to complete these assessments is affected by resource constraints, competing federal priorities and the complexity of certain cases.
As NSIRA prepares for reduced funding, questions remain about how Canada’s intelligence oversight system will keep pace with an expanding national security landscape — especially as new powers are granted to the very agencies it is tasked with monitoring.