London, United Kingdom, February 5th
Minister Steven Blaney is in London for meetings with international officials where he met with US Secretary of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson. Below is a readout for that meeting:
Minister Steven Blaney and Secretary Jeh Johnson met today in London, UK on the margins of the Five Country Ministerial, to discuss ways to improve Canada and US national security.
Minister Blaney took the opportunity to highlight Bill C-51, the Anti-terrorism Act, 2015 announced by Prime Minister Harper last week. The Anti-terrorism Act, 2015 will ensure law enforcement and national security agencies are able to:
- counter those who advocate terrorism;
- prevent terrorist travel and the efforts of those who seek to use Canada as a recruiting ground; and
- disrupt planned attacks on Canadian soil.
The Bill will also make it easier for law enforcement agencies to detain suspected terrorists before they can harm Canadians and strengthen penalties for violating court ordered conditions on terrorist suspects.
Minister Blaney discussed efforts to counter violent extremism and acknowledged the many years of close collaboration between Canada and the United States on this issue.
Minister Blaney noted Canada’s community engagement on radicalization to violence that facilitates early community intervention.
Discussion then turned to strengthening bilateral information sharing, including case-specific sharing on citizens suspected of terrorism-related activity. The Minister pointed out how Bill C-51 will facilitate the sharing of Passenger Protect Program-related information with our closest allies in order to protect our citizens.
Minister Blaney and Secretary Johnson agreed that working together on security within, at, and away from the border was a top priority of both the Canadian and American governments.
The meeting concluded with Minister Blaney and Secretary Johnson emphasizing the importance of continued collaboration on national security priorities in response to the ever-evolving threat of terrorism.
Information:
Jason Tamming
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
613-991-2924