This is the best summary I could come up with:

New revelations about a secret anti-sovereigntist spy unit in the office of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau are a sign of how much remains unknown about the federal government’s response to the Quebec independence movement.

The paper, based on documents released under access-to-information laws, alleges that from at least spring 1971 to winter 1972, a secret body known by the code name FAN TAN operated outside Canada’s official intelligence system.

Gregory Kealey, a professor emeritus in the department of history at the University of New Brunswick, said the release of the research paper is a testament to why Ottawa needs be more transparent about past actions of police and domestic intelligence services.

Kealey said he wonders whether the redactions may cover up other narratives about Starnes, who headed the RCMP security service at a time when it conducted illegal actions and who never spoke about the Vidal group in his memoir or in later interviews.

The 2006 investigation, overseen by retired judge Bernard Grenier, concluded that two federalist organizations funded by Ottawa failed to report spending of more than $500,000 during the referendum campaign, which was won by “No” side.

Molinaro said the documents show that Starnes pushed back against the attempts to politicize his agency, threatening to resign and speak out about the operation rather than provide intelligence to the Vidal Group.

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