Friday’s (April 26) Question Period in the House of Commons saw opposition Members of Parliament raising questions about e-mails sent by the head of the federal police force to senior officers requesting they first get clearance before speaking to Canadian parliamentarians.
The questions came the day after a report by Terry Milewski on Canada’s radio and television public broadcaster CBC on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
According to his report, internal emails obtained by the CBC show RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson has ordered all senior officers to get clearance from his office before committing to any meetings with MPs or senators.
In an email dated March 22, Commissioner Paulson wrote meetings or lunches with parliamentarians “can have unintended and/or negative consequences for the organization and government.”
In January, 2012, Minister Toews denied allegations that his department was trying to “muzzle” RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson. At the time, Minister Toews was responding to accusations by Liberal Senator Colin Kenny that Toews’ department was trying to silence the Commissioner by approving Paulson’s meetings.
RCI’s Wojtek Gwiazda reports.
More information:
CBC News – RCMP memo cites need to avoid ‘negative consequences for the organization and the government’ – here
CBC News (January 20, 2012) – RCMP commissioner not ‘muzzled,’ Toews says – here
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