Politics·NewConservative Leader Pierre Poilievre took aim at the RCMP’s independence in a recent interview, calling the national police force’s “despicable” leadership and accusing it of covering up for the Liberal government and former prime minister Justin Trudeau. RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme speaks during a press conference in Ottawa on Dec. 17, 2024. On Thursday, he dismissed the Opposition leaders claims about RCMP ‘covering up’ for former prime minister Justin Trudeau. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre took aim at the RCMP’s independence in a recent interview, calling the national police force’s “despicable” leadership and accusing it of covering up for the Liberal government and former prime minister Justin Trudeau. “If the RCMP had been doing its job and not covering up for him, then he would have been criminally charged,” the Opposition leader said in an interview posted to YouTube on Wednesday. Speaking to the YouTube channel Northern Perspective, Poilievre said Trudeau broke the law when he took a free vacation, a reference to the 2016 Aga Khan scandal The Conservative leader also said the former prime minister “probably” broke the law during the SNC-Lavalin affair.“These would normally have led to criminal charges, but of course the RCMP covered it all up,” he said in the interview. “The leadership of the RCMP is frankly just despicable when it comes to enforcing laws against the Liberal government.”Asked about the comments Thursday, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme defended his team and denied allegations of political interference. The Mounties, under former commissioner Brenda Lucki, did examine the possibility of charging Trudeau with fraud after investigating his 2016 family vacation on the Aga Khan’s private island in the Bahamas.The police force ultimately decided not to pursue a criminal investigation of the trip due to a nuance in the law, according to internal documents concerning the investigation that were made public in 2022.The relevant section of the Criminal Code says no government employees or officials can receive or demand gifts from a person “who has dealings with the government … unless they have the consent in writing of the head of the branch of government that employs them.”As prime minister, Trudeau theoretically could have given himself permission to accept the paid vacation. At the time, Conservatives said Trudeau granted himself a “get out of jail free card.” I don’t take any orders from any political individual- RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme The vacation was also the subject of a separate investigation by then-ethics commissioner Mary Dawson. Dawson concluded that Trudeau breached four sections of the Conflict of Interest Act — but said that could have been avoided if he had checked with her office beforehand.Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre holds a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Oct. 9. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)The RCMP documents also indicated that the force did not pursue criminal charges because of Dawson’s investigation, noting that if the ethics commissioner had decided that Trudeau committed an offence under the Criminal Code, she would have been required to “notify the relevant authorities.”Because that never happened, the RCMP wrote “it can be reasonably inferred” that Dawson did not believe Trudeau committed a violation. No interference in SNC-Lavalin affair: RCMP The Mounties have said repeatedly there was insufficient evidence to lay charges in the SNC-Lavalin affair, which rocked Parliament back in 2019.The ethics commissioner found Trudeau once again broke the Conflict of Interest Act when he tried to influence his then-justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould to overrule a decision by the director of public prosecutions to not grant a deferred prosecution agreement to Quebec-based engineering firm SNC-Lavalin, since rebranded as AtkinsRéalis. The former prime minister contravened Section 9 of the Conflict of Interest Act through a series of “flagrant attempts to influence” Wilson‑Raybould, the report said. In a 2023 statement, the RCMP said its sensitive and international investigations unit conducted an assessment, spoke with and collected information from a variety of sources “and examined the matter in the most thorough, objective and professional manner.At the time, the commissioner said the investigation was made more challenging by a lack of access to cabinet confidences, but said he’s “very comfortable” with the decision not to pursue criminal charges. Commissioner invites Poilievre to meet with leadershipResponding Thursday to Poilievre’s accusations, Duheme said “there was no interference.”“I don’t take any orders from any political individual,” he said. “And as far as his comment in regards to senior management, I would invite Mr. Poilievre to meet with us and meet with the people who run this great organization.”WATCH | RCMP commissioner responds to Poilievre:RCMP commissioner responds to Poilievre: ‘I don’t take orders from any political individuals’RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme invited Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre to meet with him in response to Poilievre’s comments in a recent interview. The Conservative leader has accused the national police force of covering up for former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and called the agency’s leadership “despicable” in the interview, posted on YouTube.Duheme, who ovesaw the RCMP’s national division and federal policing before getting promoted to the top job in 2023, was attending a news conference hosted by Prime Minister Mark Carney at a detachment in Toronto, where Carney reiterated a campaign promise to hire more than 1,000 new RCMP personnel While the RCMP is accountable to the government it is meant to have operational independence, especially in investigations, to shield against political interference.In a statement sent to CBC later in they day, Poilievre’s office said “RCMP officers play an important role in protecting our borders and keeping our streets safe.” “Conservatives have consistently stated no one should be above the law. Period,” said the statement.
Poilievre blasts despicable RCMP leadership, accuses Mounties of covering up for Trudeau
