CSIS definition of threat irrelevant to Emergencies Act decision, ex-directors sayOTTAWA — The Canadian Security Intelligence Service's interpretation of what constitutes a national security threat is not relevant when it comes to a government's decision to invoke the Emergencies Act, two of the spy agency's former directors testified at a national inquiry Wednesday. The CSIS definition of a national security threat is written into the Emergencies Act as one of the requirements for the government to declare a public order emergency. Fadden said the CSIS definition is, appropriately, very narrow and precise. Both argued the government should redefine national security threats in the Emergencies Act, and could expand that to include threats to the economy and those posed by climate change. "Mr. (Stephen) Harper's were economic, they weren't national security, although he had to deal with Afghanistan.
