National security committee submits classified report about RCMP federal policing
A committee of parliamentarians that oversees national security has submitted a report to the prime minister about the RCMP's federal policing mandate.
The report is considered confidential for now, but a declassified version must be handed over to Parliament within 30 days of its next sitting.
The National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians began reviewing the RCMP's role in February 2021, and was meant to establish baseline knowledge about the Mounties' mandate and capabilities.
In addition to being the police of jurisdiction for much of rural Canada, the RCMP mandate includes national security, organized crime, personal protection for the prime minister and other dignitaries and cybercrime.
In March, the public inquiry investigating an April 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia called on the public safety minister to review and restructure the RCMP.
The inquiry's commissioners said the RCMP should keep the tasks suitable for a federal policing agency, and other responsibilities should be reassigned.
"This may entail a reconfiguration of policing in Canada and a new approach to federal financial support for provincial and municipal policing services," the Mass Casualty Commission's report read.
The inquiry had heard weeks worth of evidence about the RCMP's failures during and after the shootings.
Gunman Gabriel Wortman disguised himself as a Mountie when he shot and killed 22 people, including a pregnant woman, in rural Nova Scotia. The RCMP did not publicly release information about his disguise for hours, despite having a number of credible reports from witnesses, and failed to adequately warn the public about the ongoing manhunt.
The gunman died in a confrontation with officers more than 13 hours after the killings began.
The inquiry found issues ranging from understaffing and underfunding of rural policing to poor training and co-operation and deceptive communication by the RCMP.
The Mounties have also come under scrutiny in a number of Canadian jurisdictions. Alberta recently decided against formally pursuing a plan for its own provincial police force, although the provincial justice minister said his department would continue to consult on the issue. The city of Surrey, B.C., plans to replace the RCMP as the police force of jurisdiction.
Municipalities across the country have also complained about the rising cost of contract policing since the RCMP union secured pay raises from the federal government in 2021.
It is not clear whether the federal Liberal government intends to undertake an external review of the national police force, which this spring marked 150 years since the founding of the North-West Mounted Police.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 14, 2023.
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The owners of a North York condominium say they are facing a $70,000 special assessment to fix their building's parking garage. '$70,000 is a lot of money. It makes me very nervous and stressed out of nowhere for this huge debt to come in,' said Ligeng Guo.
Police released the identities of the mother and daughter who were killed after a fire tore through a 160-year-old building in Old Montreal on Friday.
Tropical Storm Milton forms in Gulf of Mexico, could intensify as a hurricane threatening Florida
Tropical Storm Milton has formed in the Gulf of Mexico. It is located 220 miles (355 kilometres) north-northeast of Veracruz, Mexico.
Trump rallies at same Pennsylvania grounds where gunman tried to assassinate him
Donald Trump picked up where he left off back in July when a gunman tried to assassinate him but only struck his ear before he raised his fist and shouted “Fight!†and was whisked away with blood across his face.
The sentencing of the man who pleaded guilty in the deadly hit-and-run in Kitsilano two years ago began on Friday.
Frequent drinking of fizzy beverages and fruit juice are linked to an increased risk of stroke: research
New data raises questions about the drinks people consume and the potential risks associated with them, according to researchers at Galway University in Ireland, in partnership with Hamilton’s McMaster University.
A 30-year-old northwestern Ontario woman has been charged with arson following a structure fire Thursday night, police say.
Argentine star Lionel Messi was on the bench to start Inter Miami CF's game in Toronto on Saturday.
Travelling on a budget can be stressful, but there are ways you can ensure you're getting the best deal on flights as the holiday season approaches.
Local Spotlight
Chantal Kreviazuk is set to return to Winnipeg to mark a major milestone in her illustrious musical career.
From the beaches of Cannes to the bustling streets of New York City, a new film by a trio of Manitoba directors has toured the international film festival circuit to much pomp and circumstance.
A husband and wife have been on the road trip of a lifetime and have decided to stop in Saskatchewan for the winter.
The grave of a previously unknown Canadian soldier has been identified as a man from Hayfield, Man. who fought in the First World War.
A group of classic car enthusiasts donated hundreds of blankets to nursing homes in Nova Scotia.
Moving into the second week of October, the eastern half of Canada can expect some brisker fall air to break down from the north
What does New Westminster's təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.
The last living member of the legendary Vancouver Asahi baseball team, Kaye Kaminishi, died on Saturday, Sept. 28, surrounded by family. He was 102 years old.
New data from Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley shows a surge in supply and drop in demand in the region's historically hot real estate market.