The B.C. Civil Liberties Association is going to Federal Court to compel Paul Kennedy, Chair of the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP (CPC), to review the BCCLA ‘s complaint against former RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli and other members of the RCMP. The BCCLA’s Notice of Application can be found here>>
In the fall of 2005, the Liberal government announced changes to the taxation of income trusts. Just prior to this announcement, there was considerable suspicious market activity. An NDP MP complained to then RCMP Commissioner Zaccardelli about an illegal transfer of information. In the middle of the last federal election, Mr. Zaccardelli informed the MP that the RCMP was upgrading her complaint to a full criminal investigation. Predictably, the NDP released this information publicly. The RCMP confirmed this investigation in a press release. These developments had wide media coverage during the election. Election polls during this media scrutiny indicate a rise in electoral support for the Tories and a drop for the Liberals.
BCCLA Executive Director Murray Mollard: “The Canadian public demand that the RCMP stay out of politics to maintain the independence of and public confidence in the police. The opposite appears to have happened here and so we launched a police complaint. Rather than deal with our complaint, Mr. Kennedy has substituted his own and thus undermined the complaint process. At a time when the RCMP most needs robust and independent civilian oversight of the RCMP, we fear that Canadians are getting the opposite from Mr. Kennedy.”
This is the second time Kennedy has declined to review a BCCLA income trust complaint in a timely manner. Deferring the BCCLA’s complaints and substituting his own prevents effective scrutiny of Mr. Zaccardelli’s actions while delaying accountability.
Mr. Kennedy also substituted his own complaint for that of the BCCLA against the RCMP in the shooting death of Ian Bush. The BCCLA has also taken Mr. Kennedy to court in the Bush case. Only complainants have a right to receive a report of the investigation and to be a party to a public hearing. The BCCLA has asked Mr. Kennedy to institute a public hearing to inquire into both the income trust matter and the Bush case.
