Government offers private security to federal election candidates facing threats
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Monthly Digital Subscription
$1 per week for 24 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $4.00 plus GST every four weeks. After 24 weeks, price increases to the regular rate of $19.00 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
Monthly Digital Subscription
$4.75/week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $19 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Winnipeg Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*$1 will be added to your next bill. After your 4 weeks access is complete your rate will increase by $0.00 a X percent off the regular rate.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/03/2025 (185 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
OTTAWA – The federal government is offering private-sector security services to election candidates who feel intimidated or threatened but do not meet the threshold for police protection.
Candidates can apply to the security program, run by the Privy Council Office, if they have been threatened with harm or if they are experiencing intimidation tactics that hinder their campaigning.
Candidates may also be eligible if planned protests are causing them to feel threatened, or if their personal property has been vandalized.
The program offers what it calls “close protection” by an unarmed guard who would monitor the candidate’s surroundings, assess threats and take steps to manage risks.
The program also can provide an unarmed guard to monitor a candidate’s residence and report serious security incidents to police.
The government considers the program an additional layer of security and advises any candidate who feels threatened to contact local police immediately.
MPs have been followed on the street, harassed and subjected to death threats in recent years, and constituency offices have been vandalized.
The rise in the number and intensity of threats directed at public figures in Canada is a worrying trend, said Laurie-Anne Kempton, assistant secretary to the cabinet for communications and consultations.
“It is in Canada’s vital national interest that Canadians running for elected office feel safe,” she told a press conference Monday.
The new program is intended to complement other measures such as briefings for security-cleared representatives of political parties and a hotline operated by the Communications Security Establishment, Canada’s cyberspy agency, Kempton added.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 31, 2025.
Related Articles
Liberals win 4th mandate as NDP vote collapses and Singh announces he will resign
Advertisement Advertise With Us
Advertisement Advertise With Us