Evidence of meeting #52 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.
10:05 a.m.
Liberal
Andrew Kania Liberal Brampton West, ON
So at the beginning of August or so of 2010, you met with Mr. Baker.
10:05 a.m.
D/Commr Raf Souccar
Oh, no, all of that would have been in July.
10:05 a.m.
Liberal
Andrew Kania Liberal Brampton West, ON
That's fine.
When you met with Mr. Baker, what did you tell him?
10:05 a.m.
D/Commr Raf Souccar
Again, I simply relayed the situation as I laid it out in my opening comments.
10:05 a.m.
D/Commr Raf Souccar
It was in July of 2010, at which point he seemed to be, as I would describe him, shocked by what I said to him. He asked me if this was something that happens once every six months or once a year. I told him that it happens very frequently, sometimes daily.
10:05 a.m.
Liberal
Andrew Kania Liberal Brampton West, ON
My time is running out. I have 30 seconds.
After that meeting with Mr. Baker, did you have further meetings or additional phone calls with him or with anybody else from the government, or was that it?
10:05 a.m.
D/Commr Raf Souccar
After that he asked me if there was anyone else who had witnessed this. I said yes. He said that he wanted to speak to them. I believe that seven or eight assistant commissioners went down and met with Bill Baker separately. I wasn't there.
10:05 a.m.
D/Commr Raf Souccar
It was all at the same time. They were in a meeting room, I believe. I was not there. They all relayed their own experiences.
10:05 a.m.
Liberal
Andrew Kania Liberal Brampton West, ON
Is there any reason it took over half a year for anything to really happen after that initial July 2010 incident report?
10:10 a.m.
D/Commr Raf Souccar
I really don't know why it would have taken that long.
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
Thank you very much, Mr. Souccar.
We'll now move to Madame Mourani.
10:10 a.m.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
Thank you.
I want to begin, Mr. Chair, by asking that Mr. McDonell's letter be submitted to the committee. There is also a report by Mr. Sweeney, I believe. I ask that it, too, be submitted to the committee.
10:10 a.m.
D/Commr Raf Souccar
I am not sure which report by Mr. Sweeney you mean.
10:10 a.m.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
I read in Mr. McDonell's letter that Mr. Sweeney had done an assessment. Is that assessment contained in a report?
10:10 a.m.
D/Commr Raf Souccar
All I said, Ms. Mourani, was that Bill Sweeney had an exit interview with the Privy Council Office before he retired.
10:10 a.m.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
Mr. McDonell, did Mr. Sweeney not prepare a report on the management of the RCMP?
10:10 a.m.
Insp Mike McDonell
I think you're referring to the report with respect to regionalization?
That's a question on my part.
10:10 a.m.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
I must admit I read it in your letter. You mentioned an assessment study that Mr. Sweeney had reportedly done without any further discussion or decisions.
10:10 a.m.
Insp Mike McDonell
That's the regionalization report, yes.
10:10 a.m.
D/Commr Raf Souccar
I do not think a report was done. The consultant hired to study the matter presented options to Bill Sweeney, and many discussions took place between the two of them. To my mind, it made sense to have Bill Sweeney participate in those discussions before he retired. Unfortunately—