RCMP Watch

Editorial, Pembroke Daily Observer

Prime Minister Stephen Harper may have jumped from the frying pan into the fire with the appointment of a civilian, Bill Elliott, a long-time civil servant, but a complete outsider, as Canada’s new RCMP Commissioner.

The 53-year-old bureaucrat is considered by Parliament Hill watchers to be a decent, honest, hard-working civil servant but he is an outsider, which is an affront to many members of the force, and his long ties to the Tory party make him suspect. Critics say he has a wanderlust, on his way up the civil service ladder he has jumped from job to job every three or four years.

One veteran media type suggested Mr. Elliott is not in the RCMP chair for the long term, but to ‘mop up a lousy mess.’ That mess includes a long series of disastrous decisions that cost former top dog Guiliano Zaccardelli his position. They included the explosive Mahar Arar terrorist case, the lengthy sponsorship scandal, the Air India bombing, an inquest into the bizarre shooting of a man by an RCMP constable in B.C., the costly pension fund scandal, a civil lawsuit in New Brunswick over charges that an officer was harassed and forced to leave his job. These, and other internal and external incidents, have left the police unit reeling and discredited.

The new commissioner has a long, successful record in government service which includes law and order. He has served as Associate Minister of Public Safety, National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, assistant secretary to the cabinet, security and intelligence, and handled several law cases for the government.

Mr. Elliott was also senior general counsel and head of legal services for Indian Affairs and Northern Development, and Associate Minister of Public Safety in 2005 - 2006.

A long-time associate has described Mr. Elliott as a ’straight-shooter’ and Mr. Zaccardelli has left him with a real mess to clean up. Mr. Elliott’s predecessor has been shown to be a ‘do it my way or hit the highway’ type of commanding officer who was a hard-driving man reluctant to take advice. It is clear today his approach failed.

Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day was right when he argued that Mr. Elliott’s political and management experience is just what is needed to direct the 24,000 officers and other employees into a new, bright future.