Raison d’Être, Mandate and Role, and Operating Context

2024 to 2025 Raison d’être

The Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (PS) plays a key role in discharging the Government's fundamental responsibility for the safety and security of its citizens. The Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs and the President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada are responsible for the Department.

Legislation governing the Department sets out three essential roles:

The Department provides strategic policy advice and support to the Ministers, and delivers a number of grant and contribution programs, in line with its three core responsibilities: national security, community safety and emergency management.

Mandate and role

The Department’s mandate is to keep Canada safe from a range of risks such as natural disasters, crime and terrorism. As such, Public Safety collaborates with federal partners as well as other levels of government, non-government organizations, community groups, the private sector, foreign states, academia, communities and first responders on issues related to national and border security, crime prevention, community safety and emergency management. This cooperation supports a cohesive and integrated approach to Canada’s safety and security.

The Department will also work towards fulfilling the commitments outlined in the Minister of Public Safety’s mandate letter and the President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness’ mandate letter.

Public Safety Canada works with the following five agencies and three review bodies, unified in a single portfolio, reporting to the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs.

Public Safety Portfolio

Partner Agencies

Review Bodies

Operating context

As Public Safety Canada (PS) celebrates its 20th anniversary, it continues to operate in a fluid and evolving threat environment. The Department is focused on remaining agile to stay ahead of the challenges affecting the security and safety of Canadians which include: declining trust in democratic institutions; violence and hate motivated crimes; threats to critical infrastructure and economic security, post-pandemic effects, and the growing frequency and severity of climate-related disasters. In this context, PS is committed to demonstrating national and Portfolio leadership in fulfilling its core responsibilities in national security, community safety, and emergency management.

In carrying out its broad mandate, the Department faces a number of different risks which include a heavy reliance on partners in areas where responsibilities are shared in order to achieve common objectives; the capacity to effectively address emerging issues and threats; the ability to keep pace with rapid technological changes, and the ability to attract and retain specialized staff and talents. In an increasingly data-driven world, PS also faces data management related challenges and is working to develop effective data governance and strategies to better leverage and protect data entrusted to it.

Threats to national security, including foreign interference, are a major concern. Most recently, threats to Parliamentarians, democratic institutions and elections have garnered much public attention. Canada’s national security community also continues to be challenged with the threats posed by espionage and theft of cutting-edge research, trade secrets, and intellectual property that have national security and economic significance. PS will support Canada’s research community and work to strengthen the security posture at Canadian universities and research institutions, engage with federal, provincial, and territorial partners to protect economic and innovative assets, and continue work to ensure the security of public institutions and figures.

Similarly, Canada’s critical infrastructure (CI), which includes cyber infrastructure, faces threats emanating from interference, terrorism, cyber attacks, and impacts of climate change. Foreign actors, with the support of state-level resources, are developing advanced capabilities to target CI, increasingly leveraging cyber systems to conduct espionage and disrupt operations. Canada’s national critical infrastructure and cyber security approaches and responses must keep pace with these complex challenges.

Rising geopolitical tensions continue to challenge national security as well as domestic and global social cohesion. This is evidenced by increasing rates of hate-motivated crime in communities.Footnote 1 Recognizing the collaboration required to ensure all communities are safe from hate, violence, and radicalization, the Department continues to advance priorities under the National Strategy on Countering Radicalization to Violence. PS will continue bring forward measures to counter the rise of ideologically-inspired violent extremism leveraging portfolio, other governmental, and local community partnerships on approaches to prevent hate speech, hate-motivated crimes and violence.

The safety and security of all communities within Canada is paramount. The Public Order Emergencies Commission final report and the Mass Casualty Commission final report, released in 2023, pointed to the need for policing reforms, improved inter-jurisdictional collaboration, and holistic approaches to improve community safety. PS is focussed on advancing efforts to promote law enforcement reform, and addressing gun violence.

Despite the progress made by the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program (FNIPP), Indigenous Peoples in Canada have expressed concerns about not having equal access to policing and community safety services. The Department is committed to engagement with Indigenous communities and other partners to better understand and support their unique policing and community safety priorities and needs, and to advance the co-development of a legislative framework that recognizes First Nations policing as an essential service.

Climate change is intensifying heatwaves, wildfires, floods and other natural disasters across the country, with events often occurring simultaneously. These threats to community safety are being felt across Canada. According to the United Nations World Meteorological Organization, 2023 was the warmest year ever globally and 2024 is poised to be even warmer due to the anticipated continuing effects of the El Niño weather phenomenon. Canada’s unprecedented 2023 wildfire season demonstrated the importance of having capacity to effectively respond to emergencies. Enhancing flood resilience and a renewed approach to supporting provincial and territorial disaster response and recovery are key among a suite of commitments to addressing such disasters.

The fiscal reality and budget constraints are being felt across the Government of Canada. PS continuously seeks efficient ways to manage resources and deliver results for Canadians including leveraging partnerships and collaborations; prioritizing workloads to support employee well-being; and, supporting evidence-based public policy and good governance.

As Public Safety Canada looks to the future, it will be proactive in addressing ongoing and emerging safety and security challenges through leadership at the national and portfolio levels, leveraging all the technology, tools and resources at its disposal to modernize and adapt to a changing world.

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