Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
My colleagues and I are pleased to appear before this committee today to discuss chapter 9 of the Auditor General's report on RCMP pension and insurance administration.
With that in mind, I wish to recognize and acknowledge the importance of the Auditor General's work and to thank her for her indulgence with respect to this matter.
I would also like to extend my thanks to Chief Vince Bevan for the professional manner in which the Ottawa Police Service performed its investigation into allegations of fraud and mismanagement in the administration of the RCMP pension and insurance plans.
I am accompanied today by Deputy Commissioner Barbara George, Human Resources; Mr. Paul Gauvin, Deputy Commissioner of Corporate Management and Comptrollership; and Mr. Brian Aiken, chief audit executive of our audit and evaluation branch.
As you are no doubt aware, I have only recently been appointed commissioner, and I have been briefed on this file by those who have been directly involved in implementing corrective actions. While I cannot provide you with firsthand knowledge of these events, I am confident that the questions put forward by this committee can be responded to by those present today.
It's important to note that the OAG audit was in fact one of four important reviews conducted during the past four years to examine allegations of mismanagement in the administration of the pension and insurance plans. After a 2003-04 internal audit identified issues related to the expenses charged to the RCMP pension plan, and the Government of Canada and the RCMP policies and procedures for contracting and staffing practices, the RCMP requested that the Ottawa Police Service lead an investigation into this matter to ensure transparency and openness.
At the outset of the investigation it was agreed that the RCMP would provide and facilitate access to the required information and personnel within the RCMP to the Ottawa Police Service. After completing its independent investigation in June 2005, the Ottawa Police Service informed the RCMP that no criminal charges would be laid in this case, as the provincial crown attorney's office advised that there was no reasonable prospect of conviction on criminal charges. The Ottawa Police Service investigation thus corroborated the results of our own internal audit that determined that the irregularities identified were administrative.
In June 2005, the RCMP was then able to review the OPS investigation. After carefully studying the report, the RCMP conducted a third probe, an internal investigation under part IV of the RCMP Act. Under the act, this investigation was to determine whether a disciplinary hearing should be conducted to decide if any members had breached the code of conduct. As the Auditor General has observed, it was not possible to proceed with a formal hearing in this regard because the prescribed one-year limitation period had lapsed. This is something the Federal Court of Appeal clarified in February 2006, after the investigation had been initiated. I would like to advise this committee that we have taken a number of steps to ensure the timeliness of future disciplinary proceedings.
In September 2005, the OAG commenced a fourth review of this matter. This OAG report was tabled in the House of Commons on November 28, 2006. Chapter 9, while recognizing the RCMP had already acted in response to the issues raised in the internal audit and the OPS investigation, also provided recommendations to further strengthen the administration of the RCMP pension and insurance plans.
It was and remains an RCMP priority to take corrective action to address each issue raised through both the internal audit and the Ottawa Police Service investigation. In her report, the Auditor General noted that the RCMP had indeed responded adequately to the findings of the internal audit and to the Ottawa Police Service investigation.
As RCMP commissioner, I want to assure this committee that all recommendations stemming from chapter 9 of the Auditor General's report will be implemented. The majority of those recommendations have already been addressed, and corrective measures are being taken to address the few that remain outstanding. I would like to emphasize that the RCMP pension plan is not, and was never, at risk.
Our primary goal is to administer the pension and insurance plans in the most efficient manner, ensuring that all current and retired members are provided with the highest possible levels of service. The RCMP has demonstrated its commitment to achieving this goal by acting on the recommendations of its own internal audit as well as those of the Auditor General.
I might also add that we received only last week the results of the Auditor General's audit of the pension administration plan for the year ended March 31, 2006. The OAG provided the RCMP with a clean and unqualified report and commended the RCMP for the administration of the pension plans.
Thank you for your attention. I hope we will be able to respond to your questions. Thank you very much.