A judicial inquiry in RCMP pension scandal?

Given the time frame for these inquiries the pensioners may have passed on before the issue is settled. Maybe Ray Romanow could do an investigation. He is just to run for board member of Torstar with the recommendation of Iacobucci.


Day not ruling out judicial inquiry
JEFF SALLOT

OTTAWA -- A full judicial inquiry into the RCMP pension scandal could take years, yet in the end the government might be forced to go that route, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day acknowledged yesterday under pressure from the political opposition.

Mr. Day reiterated his preference for what he describes as a relatively quick and informal investigation by a government appointee, a process that he believes could be wrapped up in 12 weeks.

But Mr. Day told the House the minority Conservative government has not ruled out a formal inquiry down the road. "We have not said an absolute no."

As Parliament broke yesterday for a two-week break, the government had still not named someone to chair the quick inquiry, saying it takes time for qualified people to clear their calendar of other commitments before they can accept such an appointment.


When asked if the investigator might be a retired judge, Mr. Day laughed and said "there is no shortage."

The Conservatives named two former Supreme Court of Canada judges to head commissions of inquiry last year. John Major is investigating the Air-India bombing and Frank Iacobucci is examining the cases of three Canadian Muslim men who were detained and tortured in the Middle East. Both these judicial inquiries will be examining RCMP conduct as part of their mandates.

Before heading to their ridings last night, government and opposition MPs used the RCMP pension issue as fresh fodder to go at each other in the House.

Liberal MP Lucienne Robillard said the fact the Conservatives don't want a full judicial inquiry is evidence they are part of an ongoing "cover-up." She noted that the government has known about the pension-fund scandal since a report by the Auditor-General in November, but did nothing until damning testimony by senior Mounties at the Commons public accounts committee Wednesday.

Government House Leader Peter Van Loan shot back that if there was any cover-up it was by the previous Liberal government. The alleged nepotism in the administration of the RCMP pension fund and misappropriation of money took place when the Liberals were in power.

NDP justice critic Joe Comartin said the government owes rank-and-file Mounties whose pension money was at stake a full commission under the Inquiries Act, which could force reluctant witnesses to testify under immunity. Mr. Day said the RCMP's interim commissioner, Bev Busson, can make sure all serving Mounties co-operate with the independent investigator.