Evidence of meeting #43 for Public Safety and National Security in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was rcmp.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Norlock Conservative Northumberland—Quinte West, ON
Have you changed any of the processes? Do they remain the same--
4:20 p.m.
D/Commr Tim Killam
No.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Norlock Conservative Northumberland—Quinte West, ON
Have the relationships between senior managers and the commissioner remained fairly well the same system?
4:20 p.m.
D/Commr Tim Killam
Yes, they have, and quite frankly, there is the RCMP Act of 1988. It's enshrined in the RCMP Act as to how you go about a formal grievance. That has stayed the same.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
Rick Norlock Conservative Northumberland—Quinte West, ON
Deputy Nause, if I remember correctly, in the Ontario Provincial Police—and it's been about 10 years since I've been involved there—part of the many duties of a manager is always to be mentoring his immediate subordinates, so that an immediate subordinate can take over his or her position. That is the whole process almost from the start to finish in that organization.
Does that differ in the RCMP?
4:20 p.m.
D/Commr Al Nause
No, it doesn't. In both of the two programs that I talked about previously--the supervisor development program and the managerial development program--as well as in our recruit field training, they're actually hooked up with a mentor.
We've also implemented a mentorship program for the senior executives, along with the transformation knowledge booklet, so that if and when you're transferred out of a position--and we usually rotate every three to five years--you would have the key aspects of the job, or the burning issues, and be able to have that job knowledge transfer to the incoming replacement.
But it's just now that we're rolling out a mentorship program of some of the former commissioners and other people who can serve as role models for our senior executives, to help them make the transition as well.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
4:20 p.m.
Bloc
Roger Gaudet Bloc Montcalm, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Whether a commissioner is a civilian or a former police officer is not the issue; what I would hope to see is transparency for Quebeckers and Canadians. Up till now, the RCMP has proved nothing to us. I would like to know what its achievements are. Do not list 25 of them; two or three will suffice. I am not talking here about the internal management system you implemented nor of the fact that you appointed some people. I want you to tell us about the achievements of the RCMP.
4:20 p.m.
Commr William Elliott
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
We have achievements every day. We respond to approximately 7,500 calls for service from Canadians. Canadians tell us in overwhelmingly positive numbers that they approve of the services we provide. In our last core survey of those who have had direct dealings with the RCMP, 92% of those individuals said they got good service from the RCMP.
We have had notable successes in the province of Quebec in investigating and supporting prosecutions of organized crime groups, including Italian organized crime, biker gangs, and those involved in the illicit trafficking of drugs and tobacco.
We have had notable successes with respect to investigating and supporting successful prosecutions under the anti-terrorism provisions of the Criminal Code.
As well, Canadians and the world applauded the RCMP's security efforts with respect to the Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Games.
I could spend literally hours, Mr. Chairman, talking about the successes of the RCMP.
4:25 p.m.
Bloc
Roger Gaudet Bloc Montcalm, QC
That's not what I mean. Answering the telephone is your main task on a daily basis. I'm talking here about achievements. The government asked you to investigate the Air India case in 1988, and we still have no answers. Nor do we have any answers regarding the sponsorship scandal. That is the type of thing I am asking you about, not about your work on a daily basis. I'm not asking you how many police officers you have; I want to hear about the achievements of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. I'm not referring to individuals. When a government entrusts a file to you, do you put it on a shelf somewhere? That is my question. I have no other.
4:25 p.m.
Commr William Elliott
Are you talking about me personally, or about the RCMP in general?
4:25 p.m.
Bloc
Roger Gaudet Bloc Montcalm, QC
In referring to the RCMP, I am not talking about the employees who work in Nova Scotia but about you, the senior executives. What are your achievements? As I said, there was an investigation launched in 1988 on the Air India case. However the Royal Canadian Mounted Police discarded the documents. There was another in 2008, but there have been no results there either. Then there was the sponsorship scandal in 2003, and there have been no answers regarding that case either. It is from that perspective that I am talking about results and transparency. I am not talking about the fact that people call you to inform you that there have been thefts here and there: I am talking about the work that Parliament entrusts to you.
Thank you.
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
There's one other thing--and I'm glad Mr. Elliott isn't going to go on for hours on the achievements--I would just refer you to his speech at the Canadian Club here in Ottawa. He spoke at great length about the achievements of the RCMP as well as some of the things he mentioned in his presentation today in regard to recruitment and other things.
Mr. Elliott.
4:25 p.m.
Commr William Elliott
Mr. Chairman, if I may, certainly I would direct the honourable member and the committee to the report with respect to our transformation initiatives, better supporting our employees, and providing better service to Canadians.
I am not at all suggesting that the RCMP doesn't still have huge room for improvement, and specifically with respect to the Air India investigation, certainly there were mistakes made. I would point out that those investigations, as problematic as they were, particularly in the early days, did lead to a successful prosecution, and there was a successful prosecution recently with respect to perjury in relation to the Air India case.
Transparency is certainly a very important concept, and we have taken a number of steps to increase transparency in the RCMP, including the policy that I mentioned on independent investigations or review.
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
4:25 p.m.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
Mr. Killam, I am going to ask a very simple question.
Since you have known Mr. Elliott, have you ever heard him insult someone, use verbally abusive language when speaking to you or to anyone else in the organization, or display arrogance and a lack of availability? Please be very open with us, Mr. Killam.
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
Mr. Norlock has a point of order.
I think we're going beyond really why we're called here today. To talk about the day-by-day activities of the RCMP, I'm not certain that is the reason that we've called these folks here today--
4:25 p.m.
Conservative