“Senator Kenny on the national stage right now is accusing me of not being independent. That’s not true at all. I’m very independent. I’m so independent that I’m not going to sort of weigh in and discuss what laws are being considered and being passed.” - RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson, refusing to comment on Bill C-10
Methinks the commissioner doth protest too much.
The very essence of independence is being able to speak your mind freely and the head of the RCMP has a responsibility to use that freedom.
The Harper government is bent on pushing through its Neanderthal crime bill regardless of the protests of legal experts and the public, just like it did with changes to the census.
The government cites anecdotal evidence that criminals are running amok despite the statistics clearly showing a low crime rate.
The commissioner is one of the most qualified people in the country to weigh in on the matter. Perhaps he’s made his views known to the government in private, but the Canadian public has the right to know whether the RCMP thinks Bill C-10 - or any crime bill - is a good idea.
If Commissioner Paulson is afraid to speak out in case he loses his job, or if he’s been told he can’t, he should resign.
Jonathan Charlton