Bill Curry, Globe and Mail
William Elliott painted a rosy picture of the RCMP in his first parliamentary appearance yesterday, two months after an internal pension scandal at the force led to his appointment as the first-ever civilian commissioner.
The long-time federal public servant told a House of Commons committee there is obviously a need to create safe new avenues for members of the force to raise complaints, but said he won’t act on that front until he receives a task-force report in December.
“The RCMP is made up of thousands of women and men who provide exemplary service to Canadians,” he said. “I would say there are more than a few weaknesses that we have to address, but even having said that, I would say there is far more positive than negative about the RCMP. … The areas that need improvement are numerous and they are very significant and I am committed … to bring those improvements that are necessary.”
Not everyone was impressed. “Mr. Elliott, I have to tell you I was astonished by your comments,” Bloc Québécois MP Jean-Yves Laforest said. “It seems like you are really banalizing the events that have taken place and that have enormously tarnished the image of the RCMP in Canada and Quebec.”
Even though the House of Commons is not in session, MPs on the public accounts committee that first aired the allegations of abuse are holding final hearings before drafting a report.
The committee learned this year how senior members of the force used the employee pension fund to cover other expenses. When officers raised concerns about the practice, they were punished by their superiors.
David Brown, the former head of the Ontario Securities Commission, backed up the findings of MPs in a government-ordered report on June 15. He has since been asked to lead a task force that will report in December on specific ways to improve morale and transparency at the force.
All three opposition parties are highly critical of Mr. Brown’s June report and subsequent task force. They insist there is more scandal to be uncovered and only a full public inquiry will expose the truth.
Later yesterday, the MPs heard from Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, who urged the opposition to reconsider their calls for a public inquiry, arguing that such processes are costly and can go on for years.
“From a partisan point of view, I should have jumped on a public inquest,” said Mr. Day, noting that the allegations of abuse occurred while the Liberals were in office. “We have nothing to hide on this …”
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