PM TRUDEAU exercises his 'buck passing' muscle when he states: "That is not the role of a Prime Minister" sidestepping responsibility, ... effectively throwing the Public Service under the bus.
WHEN there is essentially nothing to be offered and no enforceable obligation to be open and sincere, THEN we shouldn't be surprised when the ensuing void is consequently filled with statements of the obvious and the obscure, and answers become oblique and obfuscating.
8 Short Video Excerpts
My observation on the testimony of Interim RCMP Commissioner Michael DUHEME before the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI) on February 27, 2024.
AS A FMR #RCMP (Ret'd), I will speak forthrightly, if not bluntly. It is needed here.
☞ At the close of this post, I share something of my RCMP background.
WHERE WE NOW KNOW the Force has concluded its SNC-Lavalin criminal investigation - "CH" [Concluded Here], in RCMP parlance ... and appears (very) content with that decision; in my view, as a former accredited Major Case Manager, it should not be concluded, but remain "SUI" [Still Under Investigation], until such time as ALL information has been reviewed. Period. Regardless of the amount of time which may be needed to gather such evidence.
I found the "I'm very comfortable with the end result" statement by the current RCMP Commissioner (see below) to be less reassuring, and more disconcerting. Quite to the contrary, it has the unsettling ring of smugness.
There should be no place for anything remotely approaching self-satisfaction here given the, risking serious understatement, weighty questions that remain unanswered.
This Commissioner has shown himself to be all too ready to throw in the towel 'based on the information that we had' argument, and abandon this matter without any further struggle. Frankly, it's a cop out.
We know the phrase long associated with the Royal Canadian Mounted Policy, namely: "The Mountie always gets their man."
LIKE ALL "Mounties", I will always have an RCMP Regimental Number associated with my name. We used to have a reputation for catching criminals we were after. I would assert that one can substitute 'gathering all information' for 'catching criminals' regardless of the challenges that may be encountered.
When everything is said and done, Cabinet Confidentiality is not an unsurpassable mountain range or unfordable raging river.
Carl Sagan, American astronomer and one of the leading science communicators of the 20th century, said:
Absence of Evidence is not Evidence of Absence.
WITH RESPECT TO the matter of SNCLavalin, I would argue that this (strongly) applies.
Quotes:
⁌ "I wouldn't say justice didn't play out, " RCMP Commissioner Mike DUHEME @CommrRCMPGRC told CBC News Monday.
"But I would say that when you don't have access to all the information, it's sometimes challenging."
⁌ "I'm very comfortable with the end result that we were at, based on the information that we had." RCMP Commissioner Michael DUHEME @CommrRCMPGRC
⁍ RCMP Staff Sgt. Frédéric Pincince, lead investigator on the #SNCLavalin case:
"We always prefer to have as much information as possible for us to make fulsome assessment of the situation," PINCINE said on Monday (October 23, 2023) following adjournment of #ETHI.
"So of course, without some additional information, sometimes we have to come to some conclusion based on the information that's available to us. And this is exactly what happened in this situation." [bold emphasis added]
◎ CBC journalist, Cat TUNNEY, observes "... the force [sic, Force] sought to expand that waiver as part of its investigation but was denied." @cattunneycbc via @CBC @CBCNews.
Previous Post:
* BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, I acted as the Lead Canadian Investigator and Case Manager of a case that has since come to be known as the “Iraqi Helicopter Case” (1997-1999).
Acting as the Lead Canadian Investigator with overall responsibility for the direction of a coordinated undercover operation and major international conspiracy case in conjunction with the former United States Customs Service (USCS)[now U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)], relating to the unlawful attempt to clandestinely broker a sale of surplus Canadian military helicopters to the regime of Saddam Hussein. It represented the first occurrence in Canada of an investigation and prosecution in relation to the United Nations Iraq Regulations (UNIR) / United Nations Act (UNA). The successful outcome of this case purportedly played a part in Canada obtaining a seat on the UN Security Council (1999-2000).
AS FMR RCMP (Ret'd),reading the words attributed to @CommrRCMPGRC:
«the case is too difficult and complex to investigate on Canadian soil» (see 6) causes me to recoil in disgust.
55 CDN citizens were murdered.
RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki is categorically ⟨WRONG⟩ #PS752
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AND, her position is ultimately ⟨INDEFENSIBLE⟩.
She is ⟨ACCOUNTABLE⟩, not only for the decision which bears her signature, but also for her failure to uphold her Oath of Office.
FOR THESE REASONS, a formal Public Complaint was submitted to Civilian Review and Complaints
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Commission for the RCMP (CRCC-CCETP) @CRCC_CCETP.
SINCE it has been deemed to be closely related to national security, the Public Complaint was transferred to National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA-OSSNR) @nsiracanada. (Below)
2/3 FOR THOSE READERS, who are interested in taking a deeper, 'behind-the-scenes' dive into what's happening in relation to the downing of Flight #PS752.
UPDATE
"In a decision issued Tuesday, Ontario Superior Court Justice Grant Dow sided with the federal government and dismissed the families' motion."@AshleyBurkeCBC via @CBCNews
In actuality, stage is now set for an appeal. (Frame 2)
2/5 THIS DISPLAY effectively (and recklessly) 'advertises' the potential dark side of this technology.
[Location: Mitchell Hall, Dunn-Deshpande Queen's Innovation Centre (SPARQ Studios), and situated adjacent Student Wellness Services]
3/5 THIS DISPLAY was brought to my attention by a concerned 'resident of City of Kingston'. He/She was shocked to see it and underscored ⟨in their words⟩ the "[institutional] hypocrisy" given the rise of untraceable '3D-printed 'Ghost Guns' (Frame 5)