The former head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) urged the inquiry committee on foreign interference in elections to address what he described as an often excessive national security culture.

Richard Fadden told the committee on Wednesday: "Things are more secret than they should be, there is room for pressure because of this overprotection, and this culture."

Commissioner Marie-Hélène Hog is investigating whether Beijing, Russia, India, and other countries interfered in past elections, and how information about foreign interference flowed within the federal government. The inquiry was announced following media reports accusing China of interfering in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.

But before delving into questions about who knows what and when, she first needs to understand how to talk about sensitive intelligence in public places.

On Monday, the committee's lawyer warned that most of the evidence the committee received is confidential - most of it at a top secret level.

Fadden, who also served as national security advisor to Prime Ministers Stephen Harper and Justin Trudeau, said much of the information the committee will be interested in deserves protection, but he added there is no need for opacity within the system.

He said: "I think the culture, the workload, and the traditions in agencies tend towards overprotection; that is always the case, but it happens a lot."

Fadden added that allies share more than Canada does; it is a culture that Canada's allies do not share."

He said, "Our closest allies are much more open than us; they really protect their core secrets. But the British, Americans, and Australians tend to be much more open than Canada."

"You can often point to something they released that is very close to what you want to release and ask officials, why can't we do that?"

Fadden suggested Hog consult the Department of Justice and the Queen's Privy Council Office if she encounters problems accessing information held by the government.

Current discussions on national security and secrecy aim to pave the way for the next round of public hearings in March.