Ex-CSIS head to lead RCMP workplace probe
Last Updated: Friday, July 30, 2010 | 10:06 PM ET
CBC News
The federal government has tapped the former director of Canada's spy agency to perform a workplace assessment of the RCMP.
Reid Morden previously served as director of CSIS and deputy foreign affairs minister. (CBC) The appointment of former CSIS chief Reid Morden comes in the wake of complaints by several senior RCMP officers about Commissioner William Elliott's management style.
In a release Friday, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said Morden brings "decades of experience and demonstrated capacity to manage conflict within complex environments."
CBC News first reported this week that some officers have accused Elliott of being verbally abusive, closed-minded, arrogant and insulting. One complaint described an enraged Elliott throwing papers at an officer.
The RCMP has faced strong criticism following the damning conclusions from separate public inquiries into the death of Robert Dziekanski and the 1985 Air India bombing.
Elliott was hand-picked by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to become the first civilian to lead the force in July 2007. He replaced Giuliano Zaccardelli, who was forced to resign over his conflicting testimony at the Maher Arar inquiry, and left under a similar cloud of allegations about his treatment of subordinates.The Opposition Liberals weighed in on the complaints against Elliott on Wednesday, saying Prime Minister Stephen Harper triggered the current "chaos" by naming a civilian to head the force.
In his statement Friday, Toews said the government will continue its work to reform the RCMP and remains committed to ensuring the force "becomes a stronger, more accountable organization."
Elliott and the officers involved have said in an internal memo to the force that they welcome the workplace assessment, and pledged to co-operate "fully and with candor."
Morden previously served as deputy foreign affairs minister and president of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., and was an adviser to Justice Jeffrey O'Connor during the Maher Arar inquiry.
He also served from 2004 to 2006 as executive director of the independent inquiry into the United Nations Iraq oil-for-food program.
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