National Post - August 12, 2010
By Colin Kenny
The Prime Minister has appointed Reid Morden, formerly head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, to assess the breakdown in relations at RCMP headquarters. What dire set of circumstances could possibly have prompted dozens of Mounties to speak out against their Commissioner?
Some observers have contended that the highly-respected Mr. Morden – who now runs a consulting company dependent on government contracts – is too close to the mainstream in Ottawa to come to any conclusions that might embarrass the power structure. Conclusions such as: Commissioner William Elliott is the wrong man for the job, and should move on.
It is possible that Mr. Morden will come back with a no-nonsense report on what has gone wrong at RCMP headquarters and what needs to be done. On the other hand, the early signs have not been at all encouraging.
Why has Mr. Morden started out by holding his hearings only three offices away from Mr. Elliott’s office – in full view of the Commissioner and his staff? Why wouldn’t the investigation be conducted in a more neutral and private location? Why are invitations to testify before Mr. Morden coming out of Mr. Elliott’s office, rather than through an open invitation issued by Mr. Morden himself? Many people who would like to testify don’t know how to reach him.
These are signs that Mr. Morden is content to treat a major rupture at the very top of Canada’s national police force as a petty family dispute. It ain’t. Senior and mid-level mounties put their careers and reputations on the line in accusing Mr. Elliott of being an impossible boss. Any workable solution is going to have to be Draconian – either Mr. Elliott or a battalion of his underlings are going to have to go.
There is supposed to be a genuine renewal process underway at the RCMP following an embarrassing series of incidents that badly damaged the organization’s image. If Mr. Morden tries to downplay the deeply felt grievances that have emerged among middle and senior management, that process is doomed.
Media reports have tended to trivialize the breakdown between Mr. Elliott – a career civil servant – and the regular members who are supposed to be key elements of his reform team.
There was widespread reference to a paper-throwing incident, which sounds relatively innocuous. But I have been assured by multiple sources that this incident reflected repeated cases of staff advancing ideas and advice being told their advice was worthless. They were essentially told to shut up.
Senior Deputy Commissioner Bill Sweeney served as an important buffer between Mr. Elliott and his employees, but when he retired this summer, the lid blew off the pot. Mr. Sweeney appeared before the Senate Committee on National Security and Defence last year, and said one of the biggest challenges facing the RCMP was changing attitudes. Commanders were too often treating their subordinates with lack of respect and concern, which sometimes has spilled over in the way some RCMP officers have dealt with the public in recent years.
Mr. Elliott is being accused of demonstrating the very attitude the RCMP has been trying to curb. Mr. Sweeney acknowledges that Mr. Elliott’s behaviour was “inconsistent” with the courteous, respectful conduct that front-line RCMP officers are expected to maintain.
Mr. Elliott’s tenure has been marked by lack of content as well as poor style. One of the biggest problems within the RCMP, as the Brown Task Force pointed out, is severe shortages of personnel.
Which means the RCMP is not going to be reformed without a serious infusion of cash. As David McAusland, head of the RCMP Reform Implementation Council, put it: “ . . . no matter how you slice it and dice it, the force needs more people, and, unfortunately, that means more money. It is undeniable.”
But no significant new money has been forthcoming while Mr. Elliott has been at the helm. Nor has a board of management been set up to help guide the Commissioner on the path to reform, as was recommended by the Brown Report. If such a body had been in place this spring it might have helped pre-empt what degenerated into a public standoff.
Mr. Elliott has said that this “family” dispute will sort itself out. That would be good. But so far it is difficult to figure out how the RCMP’s problems can get solved if Mr. Elliott is allowed to stay on as head of the family.
(Colin Kenny is former chair of the Senate Committee on National Security and Defence. kennyco@sen.parl.gc.ca)