Public Accounts committee  Not at all. I don't know of anybody in our organization who has authority to go around Treasury Board guidelines.

Public Accounts committee  The commissioner is above him.

Public Accounts committee  It's a very controversial issue within the RCMP. People feel that if you're under investigation...there's a fine line between being under investigation and the evidence being so unequivocal in the first instance that you would be suspended without pay. In a lot of cases, at the end of the investigation you look back and think, yes, you were absolutely right, this person was guilty of what they were alleged to have done, but it takes the investigation for that to be found.

Public Accounts committee  No.

Public Accounts committee  No, I was serving in British Columbia at the time and was not.

Public Accounts committee  Yes, I am, and that has been passed to the inquiry.

Public Accounts committee  I've been trying very hard to remain objective about this, and that's why I've ordered a code of conduct, because there are a number of issues within the order and the circumstances around Mr. Frizzell's termination, removal, or whatever we want to call it, that beg to be looked into further.

Public Accounts committee  My understanding, from what I know so far, is that Staff Sergeant Frizzell was removed.

Public Accounts committee  As we moved through this, I stated that for a lot of these circumstances I'm looking forward to our own code of conduct investigation to get to the bottom of it, but if you would allow me to speculate from what I know now, I attached a copy of an order from Mr. Gork that I think....

Public Accounts committee  It says “written order” and is dated June 20, 2005?

Public Accounts committee  With all due respect, Mr. Christopherson, the past processes failed Canadians; I agree with you. I believe the process we have in place with our code of conduct, which I will be happy to bring to this committee as part of our effort to show the transparency and the energy with which we are moving forward, will assure you that there will be a conclusive answer to this file.

Public Accounts committee  If I might, Mr. Chairman, I'm just looking for clarification of whether or not the honourable member would like me to investigate that as well, or whether that was just a...?

Public Accounts committee  Could I ask you to repeat the second rumour or allegation that you've put?

Public Accounts committee  I will investigate that, and if it would be helpful to the committee, I will also signify whether or not those two allegations were the subject of any of the other inquiries--the Auditor General's inquiry or any of the other inquiries that have looked at this.

Public Accounts committee  I think your hypothetical describes a situation where it would be difficult to assure yourself you had the whole case, if people didn't cooperate.