Commentary
The RCMP’s official motto is “Maintiens le Droit” or “Maintain the Right.” However, the common belief was that it was “We Will Get Our Man.” At least that was the slogan that was used in countless newspaper articles, novels, and movies that enchanted us all in an earlier time. The “Mounties” were incredibly popular not only in Canada, but throughout the Western world. Movies, such as the 1936 classic “
Rose Marie” starring Nelson Eddy and Jeannette MacDonald, captured the imagination of millions.
In fact, even a Mountie dog was an international star. Many children grew up reading Joe Holliday’s books about Mountie adventures, which featured the wonderful dog,
Dale of the Mounted.
The iconic picture of the Mountie in his red serge was intricately tied into the image of what Canada was all about, and our Mounties positively represented Canada throughout the world. Canadians had enormous trust in the Mountie to keep them safe, and “maintiens le droit.” Canadians also knew that nothing would stop them from “getting their man.”
But that faith has been severely tested in the past few years. And the recent revelation that the RCMP closed their file on the Trudeau/SNC-Lavalin scandal—basically because Trudeau and his staff refused to cooperate with them—has shaken it to the core.
In the SNC-Lavalin affair, it appeared that the prime minister and his staff might have committed a criminal offence when they pressured former Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould to desist from taking certain actions. Although the evidence of interference seemed to be obvious to anyone watching the House of Commons justice committee hearing into the affair play out, the RCMP
took their time before deciding to open a file. It was clear that they just did not want to do so.
Then there was an unjustifiably long time where absolutely nothing seemed to be happening. Again, many people had to embarrass the RCMP brass into saying anything.
And finally, after four years of apparently doing nothing—except having their half-hearted attempts to obtain the documents they needed to properly investigate the case ignored—they
announced that they have closed their investigation. Astoundingly, the RCMP were apparently so intimidated by the refusal of the cabinet documents that they never even requested an
interview with Trudeau—an essential component of a proper investigation.
What is going on? Whether or not charges of obstruction of justice should have been laid we will never know because the RCMP failed to complete their investigation. If people are simply allowed to refuse to turn over lawfully requested documents simply because they are in positions of power, how can a rule-of-law democracy possibly be maintained? Isn’t that only something that happens in an authoritarian nation? And is this what that proud RCMP legacy has come to—a national police force that will turn tail and run when a powerful person refuses to cooperate?
Worse still, most Canadians have appeared to shrug off this complete failure by the RCMP to complete an investigation they had considered necessary, just because the subject of the investigation was the prime minister. This can’t be a good sign in a liberal democracy. This is a complete failure of policing.
Sadly, this is not the first time that the RCMP have abdicated their responsibilities, with Canadians hardly noticing.
It also happened in Kamloops in 2021 when the RCMP simply
terminated their lawful investigation into the now infamous secret burial claim at the former Kamloops Residential School. Even more shocking, the RCMP purported to
hand over what indigenous leaders claimed to be a mass murder investigation to amateur band councillors.
There was no substance to the Kamloops claim at the outset. There had been conspiracy theories and urban legends about murderous priests that had circulated in indigenous communities for years. Respected investigative journalist Terry Glavin describes in his blockbuster National Post article, “
Year of the Graves,” how these wild stories originated—mainly from a former United Church minister. The stories included the claim that Queen Elizabeth had kidnapped 10 children from the Kamloops school.
Apart from these obviously contrived stories, there was only the
deeply flawed ground-penetrating radar report from a junior academic—a report that fell apart almost as soon as it was made. Researcher Nina Green
describes how a report that purported to detect graves in all probability found an old sewage trench.
It was in this context that the Kamloops
RCMP abruptly ceded control of their investigation and purported to turn it over to the very people who were responsible for circulating these nonsensical stories. Why did the RCMP do it? It appears that someone high up in the Prime Minister’s Office—perhaps the PM himself—told them to stop, after former TRC commissioner Murray Sinclair complained. So they did.
Had they completed their investigation it would undoubtedly have revealed the Kamloops claim to be without merit. The RCMP massively failed Canadians by failing to do their duty. They could have saved Canadians years of anguish and billions of dollars. Purporting to allow amateurs to conduct do-it-yourself major crime investigations should be completely unacceptable to Canadians.
Unfortunately, the examples above are two only of what appears to be a once proud force that has lost its way. In both of the two examples, the RCMP appears to be more like the servants of the Trudeau Liberals than a serious national police force.
In the SNC-Lavalin case, justice demands that the RCMP reopen their file and insist that the PMO turn over the documents they need to complete their investigation. They should also insist that the prime minister sit for an interview. If there is a refusal, the RCMP should lay a charge, and let Justin Trudeau and his staff explain to the court why they refused to cooperate.
In the Kamloops case, the RCMP should immediately reopen their investigation and question potential witnesses—including the person who wrote the faulty report. If necessary they should also excavate in order to reveal the source of the soil disturbances.
By virtue of
the RCMP Act, the RCMP are supposed to be an independent force that is above political interference. In the above two examples they have shown themselves to be anything but.
Canadians deserve better. The RCMP must return to their previous policy of ignoring the politics of the day, and revert to their proper role—as an incorruptible national police force.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
