Ministers need to testify about screening of men accused of foiled Toronto terror plot, MPs agree

MPs agreed Tuesday that ministers need to testify publicly “as soon as possible” about the immigration and security screening of a father and son recently charged in connection to an alleged foiled Toronto terror plot.

At an emergency meeting of the House of Commons Public Safety and National Security Committee, members of Parliament from all major parties unanimously voted to call Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, Immigration Minister Marc Miller and relevant federal officials answer questions about the case.

While the hearing got off to a tense start, it wrapped in relative short order with little acrimony, seeing the opposition come on-side with a Liberal motion, after making some tweaks.

The committee has agreed senior officials will start appearing later this month, as part of a series of six hearings into the case.

Among those MPs want to hear from are RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme, interim CSIS Director Vanessa Lloyd, Canada Border Services Agency President Erin O’Gorman, the deputy ministers of both the public safety and citizenship departments, as well as former public safety minister and current U.K. High Commissioner Ralph Goodale. 

In July, the RCMP arrested Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi, 62, and Mostafa Eldidi, 26, in Richmond Hill, Ont. who police accused of being “in the advanced stages of planning a serious, violent attack in Toronto.”

The pair are facing a series of terrorism-related charges, including conspiracy to commit murder for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with the Islamic State. 

Most of the charges stem from alleged activities undertaken in Canada. But, the father was also charged with committing an aggravated assault outside the country in June 2015 for the benefit of the terror group. Previously denying the charges, the men briefly appeared in court on Tuesday, and remain in custody.

Citing unnamed sources, Global News has reported that the father immigrated to Canada after allegedly being filmed taking part in ISIS violence overseas, and that his son does not hold Canadian citizenship. CTV News has not independently verified this reporting.

The committee will examine “the security screening process in place to review permanent resident and citizenship applications, to ensure that individuals who have engaged in acts of terror are unable to enter Canada.”

The Liberals specifically suggested MPs dig into why the elder Eldidi was allowed in, and after some re-working by the opposition, the motion was expanded to specifically probe how he obtained citizenship.

Earlier this month, the Conservatives led a call for hearings into the matter, stating Canadians deserved answers and assurances that potential screening shortcomings were being addressed. The NDP backed the proposal, setting the stage for Tuesday’s hearing.

Citing a desire to urgently examine what he called “the systemic failures that occurred,” Conservative MP Jamil Jivani said the thwarted attack has left many in the Toronto area alarmed.

“We are very grateful that law enforcement has done its work to address the case, and to foil the attempted terrorist plot. But ultimately, there is a lot of questions remaining,” Jivani said.

“We believe that just as law enforcement is doing its work, that Parliament must do its work as well, in pursuit of transparency, to prioritize public safety, give answers to the questions that Canadians have, and help Canadians feel assured that they are safe in this country.”

In response, Liberal MP Jennifer O’Connell – who initiated the motion that was ultimately agreed to – said this case shows why the federal government has been giving the CBSA more resources. She cited comments the agency made after the previous Conservative government cut employees, warning of the impact it would have on being able to keep criminals out of the country.

“We look forward to having these meetings so Conservatives can truly appreciate that their cuts have consequences to our national security and the safety of our communities,” O’Connell said. “So we are very supportive of these amendments and having that conversation.”

Facing scrutiny over how the pair were permitted to come to Canada, minister LeBlanc confirmed last week that key federal agencies are conducting an internal examination of the chronology and circumstances of this case.

He accused the opposition of politicizing an active criminal matter, and — facing the prospect of being called to testify — said he would have more to say publicly, when appropriate.

While seeming to cast doubt on some of the information circulating, the minister also came to the defence of the federal security apparatus.

“The fact that these two people are currently in jail facing serious criminal charges, should give Canadians confidence that the RCMP and their partners did good work in this case,” LeBlanc said last week.

On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters the federal government is taking the internal review of the situation “extremely seriously.”

When pressed on whether the federal government knows more about how the father and son immigrated to Canada, Trudeau said he wouldn’t comment further as the government’s investigation is ongoing.

With files from CTV News’ Stephanie Ha, Cristina Tenaglia, and CTV News Toronto’s Jon Woodward