Flux in the RCMP and Stockwell Day

Questions of serious abuse of power have been swirling around the leadership of the RCMP during the last year. The direction of the federal election last winter was decisively affected by the unorthodox intrusion of the RCMP into the campaign. The RCMP announced by way of a fax to a member of the NDP that there was an investigation into potential misconduct on the part of then Finance Minister Ralph Goodale. The investigation later cleared him of any wrong doing, but only well after the campaign had delivered a Conservative victory. The relation between the announcement and the change in favour toward the Conservatives in the polls was clear. Later this past year, the head of the RCMP was forced to resign in light of misrepresentation he had made to the House of Commons with regard to the disgraceful Maher Arar case. The misrepresentation left the definite impression that the RCMP was trying to cover-up the mishandling of information that led to the deportation of Maher Arar to Syria where he was tortured. And this week shocking allegations were made in front of a House of Commons committee that nepotism and fraud may have been comitted in the administration of the RCMP retirement plan. Those who spoke out against the abuse of power were silenced and punished by the RCMP leadership in a further story of institutional corruption and cover-up.

Clearly, the perception of the RCMP needs to be redeemed in the eyes of the public as well as the rank and file members of this organization which is intimately tied to Canadian history and identity. An investigation must be launched to root out the wrong-doers and more importantly re-examine the structure of our national police force. Good things may come from this investigation.

BUT the minister charged with overseeing the RCMP, Stockwell Day, is currently under the cloud of his own scandal. New evidence has surfaced that he may have criminally misused public funds. The RCMP are currently deliberating whether to proceed with an criminal investigation (see the documents)

I previously suggested that the only honourable thing to do on Stockwell Day's part would be to step aside so that there would not be the perception that he somehow influenced the course of this examination of his potiential misconduct. I even suggested that he resign last Monday which with the media attention focused on the Quebec provincial election would have allowed him to make this move quietly. He did not do the honourable thing.

As the situation now stands, the RCMP is looking at investigating him while he is determining how to investigate the RCMP. The conflict of interest is patent and reflects poorly on both parties. Stockwell Day must resign his minsterial position overseeing the RCMP for his own reputation and for the reputation of the RCMP.

Why I voted

Faced with the ballot my knee jerk reaction kicked in and I voted for the PLQ this morning. All the best to Jean Charest, I hope that he delivers this time. Given reports of low voter turn-out, I suspect that the PLQ will do rather well tonight because, for whatever reason, Quebec Liberals get out and vote.

Charest had to confront an interesting problem during the election with Mario Dumont’s vague concept of autonomy. It appealed to me as it does I suspect for many people because it represents popularly and in the short term "none of the above" with regard to separation. The real challenges for Quebec, health care access, competitivity, educational funding, an overwhelming national debt to name a few, have been masked by an old and bitter language (religious/class) dispute. Separation… another exhausting referendum… vote for us just to avoid another referendum… good Quebeckers only vote for us… traitor… faux frere… I am tired of it all. Of course the hard core federalist says: eventually autonomy will take a concrete form and you don’t know what you are getting into. Well, I respond: that is not what it means today. It means, to me at least, a rejection of the never ending talk about the constitution, language rights, the manifest destiny of the nation.

And then I voted Liberal… sigh.

Now as for how this will help Harper. I suspect it won’t or least far less than the great manipulator might think. The vote buying was a cheap trick and I don’t think many are grateful for receiving what Stephen Harper has convinced most Quebeckers is, in any event, owed to them. In addition, Harper's comments about how he would only negociate with a federalist provincial government made it apparent that Harper is not adept in Quebec politics.

Pssst… Steve Harper if you are listening. Is it alright if I call you Steve like your friend George Bush does. Steve, you will deal with whoever we decide to elect as our government. Period.

Stephen Harper’s overtly nationalist Bloc imitation attack ads certainly did not help the Liberals in this election and may have much to do with my feeling of being drawn back into the federalist/separatist vortex. As a Quebec federalist, the ads gave me the creeps for reasons which the creators of the ads could probably better explain.

Stockwell Day

http://www.liberal.ca/news_e.aspx?type=news&id=12598

This is an important isssue. The current Minister of Public Security, Stockwell Day, is responsible for the oversight of the RCMP. In light of new evidence that Stockwell Day may have broken the law and misused public funds, the RCMP must investigate. The only honourable option within the Canadian tradition of responsible government available to the Minister overseeing the RCMP is to step aside from his post while the investigation is undertaken. Anything less than the Minister removing himself from this conflict of interest, as overseer of the RCMP and under investigation by the RCMP at the same time, will in perception and in fact be wrong.

The minister needs to step aside. If he has done nothing wrong which is hopefully the case, he will not be charged.

The minister must step aside by Monday, March 26th.

Otherwise, questions need to be asked about his influence on the investigation into his potential crimes.