Status of Women Committee on Nov. 20th, 2012

[Catherine Ebbs]

I would only say, as a personal opinion, that with an initiative like this, where the force is trying to improve the systems that are in place, to develop strategies to even prevent the problem before it starts—

[Joyce Bateman, Conservative, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Exactly, with the training—

[Catherine Ebbs]

—leadership is key, and the fact that the commissioner has made this one of his priorities can't but help to move that initiative along.

[Joyce Bateman, Conservative, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

I appreciate that. The training they have initiated for all of their staff is part and parcel of that leadership component, I imagine?

[Catherine Ebbs]

Yes, I would think so.

[Joyce Bateman, Conservative, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

I now turn it over to my colleague, Ms. Young.

[Wai Young, Conservative, Vancouver South, BC]

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Joyce.

I was particularly impressed that because you are an independent review committee, you have an ability to step back a little bit and see not just what the RCMP is possibly going through, because it is part of the federal civil service, but perhaps to have some views about the overall system. I was particularly impressed by your objective and experienced view on this.

I want to ask you some final questions and reconfirm what I thought I heard today, because we heard some things earlier and some right now. What I thought I heard was that the reason you don't collect separate statistics for sexual harassment per se is because the cases that come to you are so few.

Would you like to confirm that?

[David Paradiso]

We've just simply never tracked sexual harassment cases separately from other harassment. But we have a good idea that they are very, very few.

[Wai Young, Conservative, Vancouver South, BC]

Secondly, it appeared, based on your testimony, that you are listened to, that you have influence, and that when you make recommendations, the RCMP does embrace them or does try to implement them. Would you say that this is true?

[Catherine Ebbs]

Yes, we do have examples, quite numerous examples, of that.

[Wai Young, Conservative, Vancouver South, BC]

Would you say that, of course, we would strive for zero tolerance? In your view, after 25 years of experience, is that truly possible, given human behaviour and all of that?

[Catherine Ebbs]

I think that whether or not it is actually possible, that's got to be our target.

[Wai Young, Conservative, Vancouver South, BC]

Yes, absolutely, I think we all agree with that in this room.

Given that, and the different appeal systems—and we've heard about the Treasury Board guidelines and what the RCMP have to go through—would you say, because we ended up here in the last place, that Bill C-42 will have an impact?

Given the lead in management and the importance the commissioner has put on this, obviously, and the fact that earlier on we had people who said there's no magic bullet, there's no one solution that's going to make all this go away or solve all these problems, we have to do a number of different things, because there is an existing, very complex system that we have to improve on in various aspects, whether it be training, whether it be leadership, etc.

What are your thoughts, given that you have a bit more time now, on Bill C-42 and how it will help the system?

[The Chair, NDP, Marie-Claude Morin]

Very, very quickly.

[Catherine Ebbs]

Okay, very quickly. The momentum is there, and we just have to make sure this momentum carries through to some really positive results.

[The Chair, NDP, Marie-Claude Morin]

Thank you, Ms. Young. Unfortunately, you're out of time.

That concludes today's meeting. I would ask the committee members not to leave the room, as we are going to spend 10 minutes on committee business.

Thank you kindly for agreeing to meet with us and taking the time to be here today. Your input was very helpful.

In one minute, we will move in camera.

[Proceedings continue in camera]