Evidence of meeting #47 for Public Accounts 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.
Conservative
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Daryl Kramp
--please wait for the response. Then you may ask another question.
A brief response, please.
Commr William Elliott
Mr. Chairman, we have worked on a wide variety of fronts, including on this file, but we have addressed other priorities.
It is a complex matter. We have been working diligently on that. We worked with the Reform Implementation Council. In November I stated my public support for the proposal. We are working on the details, including some of the things that Mr. Baker talked about with respect to finances and implications more broadly, and an implementation plan.
Bloc
Luc Desnoyers Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Mr. Chair, we are sharing our time.
I have a question for Mr. Baker, that has actually already been asked. There is currently discussion about modernizing the RCMP. There is talk of a new external complaints commission. There's talk about a board of management. There is also talk of making the police accountable and implementing new governance.
Do you have an action plan dealing with everything that has, and has not, been resolved, since the committee made its recommendations? I would also like to know how everything was done.
Do you have that report and could you make it available to us?
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety
Certainly. The vast majority of the recommendations that came out of this committee—I did allude to that committee's report when I commenced my opening remarks today—relate to the internal functioning of the RCMP. The commissioner is in the best position....
You asked earlier for an update on the recommendations, and I'm sure that can be provided in due course, certainly.
Bloc
Luc Desnoyers Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Mr. Chair, I don't mind who answers. What we want, what the committee wants—I am certain—is an action plan showing what remains to be done and what direction will be taken, what has been done and how it was done.
Commr William Elliott
Perhaps I could just ask for clarification, Mr. Chair.
The report that's being requested--is that in relation to the December 1, 2007, report of this committee?
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Daryl Kramp
Mr. Desnoyers, please be explicit in your request for the report.
Bloc
Luc Desnoyers Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
The committee's report contains a series of recommendations. The Bloc Québécois members of the committee had included a minority report.
You have both referred to the modernization of the RCMP and a new commission, but nothing has happened yet.
I am putting the question to you both. Could you please give us an action plan showing how you will resolve the outstanding issues over the coming weeks? Could you please tell us how the other issues were resolved?
Commr William Elliott
Mr. Chairman, I think in the interests of time I should indicate that my understanding is that the recommendations of the committee have all been addressed. The only outstanding issue really is with respect to the recommendation for an accountability board--in the words of the committee.
I had thought the committee had been provided with details of the action on those recommendations, which we also treated as a priority, by the way. I'd be happy to provide further information with respect to the specific action that's been taken with respect to each of those recommendations.
With respect to the outstanding recommendation about governance, the committee has heard today that we will provide information to Mr. Baker and then the matter will proceed. Ultimately, the government will decide whether they want to make a decision or not make a decision, and what the nature of any decision they wish to make will be.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Daryl Kramp
Thank you. I appreciate the clarification, Commissioner Elliott.
Mr. Marston, please.
NDP
Wayne Marston NDP Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair. It's a pleasure to be here.
Coming from another committee--this is the first time I've subbed in this committee--it's a little intense, but I must say that there are a couple of gaps. The comparison of 1976 to 1986, the implementation of the other plan previously, and putting it into the context of the changes that have happened since then with computer modelling and other efforts that can be made....
I'm not second-guessing the work that either of you gentlemen have done on this, but Mr. Elliott, you referred to a business plan a little while ago that was going to be presented in due course. It seems to have created a little bit of tension in the following questions. Within reasonable expectations, when would that be presented?
Commr William Elliott
Well, Mr. Chairman, I already indicated that we'll provide that to Mr. Baker before the end of the month. The timeframe with respect to what happens after that is really a decision of others.
NDP
Wayne Marston NDP Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
Well, that's fair.
Mr. Baker, upon receipt of this report, in your expectations of the handling of it, at what point in time would this surface in a way that this committee would be made aware of it?
