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Petition calls for federal party leaders to get top-secret security clearance

On Feb. 8, 2026, an electronic petition on the Parliament website asks the House of Commons to require all federal party leaders to obtain and maintain top-secret security clearance, open until April 7.
Federal officials recommended in 2024 that leaders of major opposition parties receive regular classified briefings, while the petition cites Canadian Security Intelligence Service warnings of foreign interference risks.
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre has long refused top-secret security clearance, arguing it would be a `gag order` that restricts his free speech, while the petition says this refusal `exposes Canada to avoidable national security risks`.
Several party leaders have already obtained clearances, including Bloc Québécois Leader Yves‑François Blanchet, then-NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Green Leader Elizabeth May, while Sam Lilly, Conservative spokesman, said the government can notify leaders of relevant issues.
The petition frames the change as a national-interest step, saying party leaders who accept briefings would need top-secret-level security clearance.

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