Thanks, Mr. Chair.
I have a specific question I will put to Mr. Brown tomorrow, but I'd like your feedback.
In his report on page 47, he talks about rebuilding the trust through his task force on governance and cultural change. In his report up to page 47, the whole question of cultural change is almost like a golden thread that weaves its way through the report. It goes from the personality of the former commissioner all the way through the culture of the organization and its paramilitary roots, etc. But in his recommendations on establishing the task force, which I assume have been picked up by the government and have been funded by the government, he talks about there being “a great deal of work to be done to develop an appropriate governance structure and to create an appropriate culture”. Now, I would assume one of the challenges in terms of the culture at the RCMP is its secrecy, its lack of questioning, its requirement to take authority at face value.
Then he goes on to say that we ought to create this task force, and we'll have the RCMP and the public service and outside experts, and the chair of the task force himself would be independent. And here's the kicker: “The Task Force should deliberate privately in order to encourage full frank discussion.” Now, I read that and I ask, why would anybody or any government in their right mind create a task force that is dealing with secrecy and hold all deliberations in secret?
Does this make any sense to either of you sitting on the panel today?