The National Security Advisor (Full title: National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister ) is an associate secretary in the Privy Council Office

Privy Council Office (Canada)

In Canada the Privy Council Office is the secretariat of the federal cabinet, providing officially non-partisan advice and support to the Prime Minister and leadership, coordination, and support to the departments and agencies of the government...

 (PCO) responsible for Security

Security

Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...

 and Intelligence

Intelligence (information gathering)

Intelligence assessment is the development of forecasts of behaviour or recommended courses of action to the leadership of an organization, based on a wide range of available information sources both overt and covert. Assessments are developed in response to requirements declared by the leadership...

. He or she is supported by the Security and Intelligence Secretariat and the International Assessment Staff.

The current National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister and Associate Secretary to the Cabinet is Stephen Rigby. He was appointed on November 15, 2010, by Stephen Harper

Stephen Harper

Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...

. Prior to this appointment, he was the President of the Canada Border Services Agency

Canada Border Services Agency

The Canada Border Services Agency is a federal law enforcement agency that is responsible for border enforcement, immigration enforcement and customs services....

.

Responsibilities

The National Security Advisor has four main responsibilities:

• providing information, advice and recommendations on security and intelligence policy matters to the Prime Minister of Canada
  Prime Minister of Canada
  The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
  
  ;
• co-ordinating members of the security and intelligence community;
• along with the Deputy Minister
  Deputy Minister (Canada)
  In Canada, a deputy minister is the senior civil servant in a government department. He or she takes political direction from an elected minister. Responsibility for the department's day-to-day operations, budget and program development lie with the deputy minister...
  
   of National Defence
  Department of National Defence (Canada)
  The Department of National Defence , frequently referred to by its acronym DND, is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for all matters concerning the defence of Canada...
  
  , accountable to the Minister of National Defence
  Minister of National Defence (Canada)
  The Minister of National Defence is a Minister of the Crown; the Canadian politician within the Cabinet of Canada responsible for the Department of National Defence which oversees the Canadian Forces....
  
   for the Communications Security Establishment
  Communications Security Establishment
  The Communications Security Establishment Canada is the Canadian government's national cryptologic agency. Administered under the Department of National Defence , it is charged with the duty of keeping track of foreign signals intelligence , and protecting Canadian government electronic...
  
  ;
• overseeing the intelligence assessment function, specifically the production and co-ordination of intelligence assessments for the Prime Minister, other Ministers and senior government officials.

External links

• Privy Council Office: Securing an Open Society: Canada’s National Security Policy.
• Privy Council Office: The Role and Structure of the Privy Council Office: Deputy Secretary, Security and Intelligence.
• GlobalSecurity.org: Privy Council Office (PCO) - Canadian Intelligence Agencies
• Canada School of Public Service: National Security Advisor's role in Canada-US Government Collaboration