Today I lead with a story from Ottawa, in particular the four square miles of it that are surrounded by reality. A revolt of sorts has taken place in the RCMP against the Commissioner, Bill Elliot. Elliot was appointed several years ago after a series of scandals. He’s a civilian, something which caused a stir at the time. Now his most immediate subordinates are complaining that he’s abusive, frequently yelling and ranting.
This is being spun in the media as a “management style”, although it’s nothing of the sort. What’s described is bullying and is destructive to the effectiveness of any organization.
There’s also a line being put out that the complaints are from loyalists of the last Commissioner, Giuliano Zaccardelli, and that they are trying to resist the change Elliot is trying to bring to the force. These explanations are red herrings, and, in any event, contradicted by every report we have heard about Elliot.
Another red herring is the attack on critics that suggests they are hostile to a civilian in charge of the RCMP. That’s irrelevant, but while we’re on the topic, um, yeah, I do have a problem with it. I also don’t want a career civil servant running the Canadian Armed Forces.
In Manitoba, meanwhile, the Manitoba Hydro war of words is heating up in advance of hearings this fall. The hearings are the result of a whistleblower who exposed gross mismanagement. The utility has been trying to destroy her ever since, with its latest shot being a biased report by KPMG.
A former Quebec finance minister has been ordered to testify before the provincial Commissioner of Elections. This would be a small story except for the fact that allegations against him came after he spoke out about the selling of judicial positions in the province. The timing is, shall we say, suspicious.
Finally, Wikileaks remains in the news as its release of U.S. military documents continues to stimulate debate.
Have a good weekend.
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RCMP Commissioner Exposed as Erratic, Bully
Manitoba Hydro and Whistleblower Publish Conflicting Reports
Former Quebec Finance Minister Ordered to Testify on Election Corruption Allegations
Wikileaks Release of U.S. Military Documents Stirs Debate
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RCMP Commissioner Exposed as Erratic, Bully
Minister ‘troubled’ by complaints about RCMP commissioner
National Post, July 27, 2010
Summary: When he was appointed RCMP commissioner in 2007, William Elliott — the first-ever civilian named to head the national force — admitted that gaining the trust of his peers posed “special challenges.” Three years later, the former senior bureaucrat appears to have failed to win over key members of his leadership team.
Harper unlikely to dump RCMP boss, source says
The Star (Toronto), July 28, 2010
Summary: Prime Minister Stephen Harper has no intention at this point of replacing RCMP commissioner Bill Elliott after a revolt by a group of senior officers over their civilian boss’s bullying leadership style, sources say.
With RCMP ‘working through’ chaos, Tories call in Mike Duffy
Globe and Mail, July 29, 2010
Summary: A summary of debates being held in Ottawa over the controversy surrounding RCMP Commissioner Bill Elliot.
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Manitoba Hydro and Whistleblower Publish Conflicting Reports
New Hydro whistleblower report, rebuttal
Winnipeg Free Press, July 29, 2010
Summary: The two rival reports on Manitoba Hydro’s operations are on the Public Utility Board’s website. Manitoba Hydro is selling power to American customers too cheaply, exporting more than it can produce and at risk of losing hundreds of millions of dollars, the Manitoba Hydro whistleblower alleges in a new report. But another newly released rival report by global consulting firm KPMG found no merit in the whistleblower’s allegations.
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Former Quebec Finance Minister Ordered to Testify on Election Corruption Allegations
Financement du PLQ: Marc Bellemare devra témoigner
La Presse, July 29, 2010
Summary: Le juge Yves Alain a ordonné jeudi à Marc Bellemare d’aller témoigner devant le Directeur général des élections.
Bellemare trouve inacceptable d’avoir à témoigner
La Presse, July 29, 2010
Summary: L’ancien ministre de la Justice Marc Bellemare trouve inacceptable d’avoir à comparaître devant le Directeur général des élections alors que la question des serments de confidentialité des membres du gouvernement, auxquels il est soumis, n’est pas encore tranchée.
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Wikileaks Release of U.S. Military Documents Stirs Debate
When nothing is secret any more
Globe and Mail, July 27, 2010
Summary: In one way, the advent of WikiLeaks is a welcome antidote to the rampant overclassification of information – the tendency of governments and large bureaucracies to withhold more and more stuff from the public for no good reason. But, sometimes, there are good reasons for state secrecy. No matter how much you may dislike the Afghan war, you probably don’t want information published that could directly endanger our soldiers or civilians. (Column)
Why Wikileaks Is as Scary as It Is Sexy
FishbowlNY (Blog), July 28, 2010
Summary: There is much to cheer about in whistleblowing site Wikileaks‘ massive dump of U.S. military documents related to the Afghan War. Details of dubious strategic value to the military, but of significant public-relations value, have been made public. That’s good. But there’s still a great deal to worry about as Wikileaks reaches increasing levels of power and prominence in the business of gathering and distributing news. Wikileaks is scary, and not for the simple reason that it publishes state secrets.
