The Conservative government is planning to give the Canadian Security Intelligence Service more authority to track terrorists overseas.

Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney , telling reporters that the 30-year-old legislation governing CSIS needs an update in the wake of new terror threats at home and abroad.

鈥淓vents in recent months in Iraq and Syria have shown us that we cannot be complacent in the face of terrorism,鈥� Blaney said. 鈥淚n particular, we are firmly committed to take strong action to address the threat of individuals who become radicalized to violence and the growing problem of extremist travellers.鈥�

A federal court ruled last November that CSIS didn鈥檛 have the legal authority to track Canadians on foreign soil. The ruling also prevented CSIS from using allied spy networks, including those in the U.K. and the U.S., to track terror suspects without parliamentary approval.

鈥淲e had a black hole,鈥� Andy Ellis, deputy director of CSIS operations, told reporters Thursday. 鈥淲e were unable to track where these people were, when they were moving, how they were moving and the nature and depth of the threat they posed to Canada and our allies.鈥�

The changes to the CSIS Act, expected to be tabled next week, will clarify CSIS鈥檚 ability to act on terror threats abroad. Blaney also said the government wants to make sure that Canada鈥檚 spy agency can protect the identity of its sources when it comes to terror investigations.

Blaney later told CTV鈥檚 Power Play that the goal is to give CSIS鈥檚 sources the same legal protection afforded to informants in police investigations.

鈥淚f those sources are not protected, the trust is not there and then it creates a gap in our capability to garner information so we can move on and track those individuals,鈥� Blaney said.

But some attorneys warn that protecting CSIS informants could mean that defence lawyers and even judges would not be able to question them in court proceedings.

Ottawa lawyer Norm Boxall, who worked on the high-profile Mohamed Harkat security certificate case, told The Canadian Press he鈥檚 鈥渇ar from convinced" that CSIS needs to offer total protection to its sources. 

Legal experts say that CSIS鈥檚 enhanced powers will undoubtedly face a court challenge.

And Opposition Leader Thomas Mulcair said the NDP is worried 鈥渂ecause the Conservatives have not shown any concern for personal liberties.鈥�

Liberal MP and former defence minister John McCallum told Power Play Thursday that 鈥渞obust measures鈥� are needed to apprehend potential terrorists who want to fight abroad.

But while the Liberals are 鈥渋n favour of the principle,鈥� McCallum said they would like to see more oversight of CSIS operations, preferably by a parliamentary committee.

鈥淭he more robust these measures are, the more we need judicial and parliamentary process to provide safeguards,鈥� he said.

Extremists in Canada

Two weeks ago, RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson told the public safety committee that there are 63 ongoing investigations into more than 90 suspected extremists who either plan to join terror activities abroad, or who have returned to Canada.

Earlier this year, a report issued by Blaney's department said the government was aware of more than 130 individuals who had travelled abroad and were suspected of engaging in terror-related activities.

The issue of radicalized Canadian residents and citizens has been at the forefront of political and national security discussions in recent weeks, especially since Ottawa decided to join the U.S.-led airstrikes against ISIS targets in Iraq.

According to the Prime Minister鈥檚 Office, Stephen Harper spoke with U.S. President Barack Obama Thursday about the threat of ISIS, as well as the ongoing Ebola crisis in West Africa.

During the conversation, Obama thanked Harper 鈥渇or Canada's considerable contributions鈥� to the fight against ISIS, the PMO said.

With a report from CTV鈥檚 Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife and files from The Canadian Press