Canada’s Intelligence Watchdog Is Being Asked to Do More With Less and That Should Concern Us All

Ottawa’s latest round of federal budget cuts may seem like just another exercise in fiscal tightening, but buried within the numbers is a warning we shouldn’t ignore. The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA) the very body responsible for keeping Canada’s spies accountable is bracing for “very difficult choices” ahead. When the watchdog charged with protecting our rights says it will struggle to do its job, Canadians should pay attention.

The government’s plan to save $13 billion annually by 2028-29 means most departments must trim 15 per cent from their budgets. NSIRA, which oversees CSIS and several other intelligence organizations, isn’t exempt. As Vice-Chair Craig Forcese put it this week, the agency will likely have to reduce the number of studies it conducts each year. Fewer reviews mean fewer opportunities to catch problems early the very purpose of independent oversight.

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree insists that cuts won’t affect NSIRA’s “core function.” But that reassurance feels thin when viewed alongside the government’s recent expansion of national security powers. New legislation has bolstered what police and CSIS can collect, while even the Coast Guard is now being positioned to gather intelligence. The state’s reach is growing but its oversight mechanisms are being financially squeezed. That contradiction should make all of us uneasy.

Forcese himself admitted that intelligence agencies aren’t always thrilled to be examined. “It’s not fun being reviewed,” he noted, likening NSIRA to a canary in the coal mine an early warning system meant to detect trouble before it becomes a crisis. But a canary can only warn us if it’s still breathing. If NSIRA loses resources, its ability to push back against misuse, overreach, or simple bureaucratic error will inevitably weaken.

We’re already seeing signs of strain. NSIRA’s 2024 annual report shows a jump in complaint investigations tied to immigration security screening delays. CSIS acknowledged that limited resources and shifting federal priorities affect how quickly it can provide security advice. These delays don’t just inconvenience applicants they affect families, livelihoods, and Canada’s reputation as a fair and efficient immigration system.

Oversight is not some bureaucratic luxury. It is the backbone of a democratic security system. When intelligence agencies gain new powers, the public must gain new assurances. Instead, we’re watching the opposite: stronger state tools paired with weakened review capacity.

Budget discipline may be necessary, but not all cuts carry equal risk. Trimming the very agency tasked with protecting Canadians from abuses of surveillance and secret policing is short-sighted at best and dangerous at worst.

If Canada truly wants a security system that is both effective and accountable one that maintains public trust NSIRA cannot be an afterthought in the government’s fiscal strategy. Oversight is only meaningful when it is properly funded. Without that, the canary in the coal mine may go silent long before anyone notices something is wrong.