Evidence of meeting #43 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.
Commr William Elliott
Mr. Chairman, I think I've already answered the question in the affirmative.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
And so, according to the RCMP, prostitution is work. Is that right? I have understood you correctly?
Commr William Elliott
Yes, but I also said it's not legal work, and if the suggestion is that the RCMP somehow condones or approves of prostitution, nothing could be further from the truth.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
Since you are speaking to me in English and I hear you in French, I want to make sure that I understand your comments correctly.
You are saying that for the RCMP prostitution is illegal work, is that correct?
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
Mr. Elliott, in all of your career, have you ever experienced this type of situation before, or is this the first time? Have grievances ever been filed against you? Has anyone ever talked to you about your attitude? Is what happened at the RCMP new for you, or have grievances ever been filed against you in other departments where you worked?
Commr William Elliott
To my knowledge, there has never been a grievance filed against me throughout my career. Certainly in the course of working with other people issues arise with respect to how people, including me, are or are not getting along. But the short answer is no.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
So there have never been any grievances filed against you. That seems a bit strange to me, because I received emails from people who wish to remain anonymous, and who told me that grievances had already been filed against you, at Transport Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. I have other examples, if you would like more.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
I have another question for you, Mr. Elliott. Did you forbid Mr. Souccar from coming here? I was the one who asked that he appear before the committee, and we have had no reply from him, which almost constitutes a refusal. Did you ask Mr. Souccar not to come here?
Commr William Elliott
I neither asked him to appear nor did I ask him not to appear. The committee, through the clerk, through the Department of Public Safety, through my parliamentary affairs folks—by the time things get to me, if they ever get to me, they are five or six times removed—had the suggestion that I might appear with Mr. Souccar. We responded that I proposed to appear with serving members of my senior executive committee. I believe that was communicated to the committee in writing by Public Safety on November 18.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
You never asked Mr. Souccar to not come here, and so we are going to ask him to appear. It does not bother you that we ask Mr. Souccar to appear before the committee? You have not given him an order preventing him from coming here, that is what you are telling us?
Commr William Elliott
There is no order from me telling him not to appear before the committee.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
According to you, was Mr. Souccar demoted in a certain way, or assigned to other duties? Had you been thinking for a long time of moving Mr. Souccar, or was it after what happened this summer that the decision was taken to remove him from his position?
Commr William Elliott
It was following the report from Mr. Morden. I met with Mr. Souccar and, following that, decided that he should no longer stay in his position. His position was deputy commissioner, federal and international policing.
Conservative
Dave MacKenzie Conservative Oxford, ON
Mr. Chair, I have another point of order. I would like Ms. Mourani to table the document she referred to.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
Madame Mourani, he made a suggestion that you were reading from a document there, and he is requesting that you table the document you've been reading from.
Bloc
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
No I was not reading a document. I said that I had received emails; that's not the same thing.
You are referring to human trafficking? Is that what you are talking about?
Conservative