An ex-cabinet secretary Mel Cappe stated that federal whistleblowers who gave the media secret memos on Chinese spying should be punished. . Jail cellCourtesy gtaweekly.ca .According to Blacklock’s Reporter, Cappe said they are like predators and their identities should be exposed..“I am telling you Parliament has created legislation which has to be respected and that is the Security of Information Act,” Cappe testified on Thursday at the Commons Public Accounts committee. .“I want to make sure no public servant takes it upon themselves to make a judgment that they know better than Parliament. That’s my point.”.The 2001 Security of Information Act prohibits the disclosure of confidential records and carries a penalty of up to 14 years in prison. Parliament passed this law to replace the 1939 Official Secrets Act..Cappe was the Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet from 1999 to 2002. He is a Trudeau Foundation member..During his testimony to MPs, Cappe said he was upset over the media's disclosure of confidential documents that revealed the activities of Chinese spies in Canada. He called for the prosecution of the reporters' sources..“I think the leaker — he’s not a whistleblower, he’s a leaker — violated the law,” said Cappe..“You made a distinction between a leaker and a whistleblower in reference to your comments about allegations of foreign interference,” said New Democrat MP Blake Desjarlais (Edmonton Griesbach, AB). .“Why do you say that?”.“A whistleblower is someone who sees illegal activity and wants to make sure it is dealt with,” replied Cappe. .“A leaker takes something that is secret and releases it.”.“So you’re confident there is nothing illegal?” asked Desjarlais. .“I haven’t seen the document. I don’t know what it is,” replied Cappe..“You believe it’s not illegal?” asked Desjarlais. .“I can be proven wrong,” replied Cappe..“The part you have assumed, though, is it is not illegal by making a reference to the fact it is not a whistleblower,” said Desjarlais. .“I’m saying, Mr. Cappe, that is a strange position to take when we lack the clarity of the truth here.”.“The only thing they found illegal was that this individual released secrets that are illegal to release,” Cappe replied. .“Imagine if the journalists had written, ‘We’re not releasing the identity of the source because the pedophile would be subject to prosecution under the Criminal Code.’ You wouldn’t accept that.”.“The issue has become so fraught and so emotional,” said Cappe. .Cappe stated that a public inquiry into handling 2021 security warnings was unnecessary..“I really don’t care what was done,” said Cappe..The testimony occurred during National Public Service Week.
