Evidence of meeting #65 for Public Accounts in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was gauvin.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
John Williams Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
I'm quite sure you would have added them in, too, Mr. Gauvin.
Anyway, I wanted to ask—
Deputy Commissioner, Corporate Management and Comptrollership, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Yes, we wanted to make sure the report was complete, and that they were all there.
Deputy Commissioner, Corporate Management and Comptrollership, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
There was never any intent of not—
Conservative
John Williams Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
I want to ask Mr. Picard a question.
Mr. Picard, before you were in charge of ATIPs, were you doing any investigations into gifts from contractors and so on with the OPP investigation?
Superintendent, former Officer in charge of the Access to information and Privacy, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Yes, sir.
Conservative
John Williams Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
Was there a complete exoneration, or did you find things were going wrong in that investigation?
Superintendent, former Officer in charge of the Access to information and Privacy, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The situation was similar to this situation here. It was following cases where management refused to act on complaints of fraud and gifts and that type of thing. The OPP did the investigation. I did the internal investigation. At the end of the internal investigation, members of the RCMP had breached the code of conduct—
Superintendent, former Officer in charge of the Access to information and Privacy, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
I would say Mr. Gauvin.
Conservative
Superintendent, former Officer in charge of the Access to information and Privacy, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Yes, he had received gifts from three different companies. One was SAP, the other one was 3M, and the third one I can't remember. He also had lied during the investigation.
Conservative
Superintendent, former Officer in charge of the Access to information and Privacy, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
It was reported in my report.
Conservative
John Williams Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
Okay. Now, there's a rumour that it was recommended that Mr. Gauvin be terminated. Is that correct? Do you have any awareness of that?
Superintendent, former Officer in charge of the Access to information and Privacy, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Could you repeat your question, please?
Conservative
John Williams Conservative Edmonton—St. Albert, AB
There was a rumour that following that report, there was a recommendation that Mr. Gauvin be terminated. Are you familiar with that?
Superintendent, former Officer in charge of the Access to information and Privacy, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
No, sir.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Brian Fitzpatrick
Just a point of clarification before we leave this point. I think Mr. Crupi, in his testimony, said that before these things went off to Public Works and so on, there was a group within the RCMP of five or six signatures that had to go on this proposal or contract, or whatever it may be, before it went off to Public Works.
Mr. Gauvin, is that correct?
Deputy Commissioner, Corporate Management and Comptrollership, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Yes, there were a number of signatures that we required within NCPC.
Conservative
Deputy Commissioner, Corporate Management and Comptrollership, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
No, sir.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Brian Fitzpatrick
Would there be anybody who reports to you who would have signed off on that?
Deputy Commissioner, Corporate Management and Comptrollership, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
No, sir.
Can I come back and make a point on the testimony just given? There was a really strong accusation here that I lied during those interviews. That's not true, sir. We had a disagreement, but it wasn't a lie. I mean, he has his version, and I have mine. This is not fair for somebody to come here and just say that I lied during that investigation. There was never anything proven on that. I had my point of view, and he had his.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Brian Fitzpatrick
I caution witnesses to refrain from making those types of accusations.