Casey says investigation launched
Request for particulars of 2004 report went unheeded according to MP
Refusal by the RCMP to respond to an Access to Information request by Cumberland Colchester MP Bill Casey has prompted an investigation by the federal Information Commissioner.
Casey said the investigation was launched following refusal by the RCMP to release a 2004 report regarding the province’s decision to locate its (911) Operational Communications Centre in Truro.
He said it has been almost 100 days since filing the request after hearing rumours the RCMP is considering moving the centre to its “palatial” headquarters in Halifax. Not only would that eliminate more than 50 jobs from the area, he said, it could also place the province’s entire RCMP communications’ operations in jeopardy by putting it all under one roof.
Casey said he has also not received a response from Assistant Commissioner Brian Brennan, Commanding Officer of Nova Scotia “H” Division in Halifax, to meet on the matter.
RCMP spokeswoman Jennifer Clarke, however, disagreed.
“At no time has Mr. Casey requested a meeting with our commanding officer,” she said, on Wednesday. “We just had this (comment) approved by our commanding officer this afternoon.”
In response, Casey’s assistant emailed a copy to the Truro Daily News of a letter dated Oct. 31, 2016 that he said was sent to Brennan through Canada Post.
“When we didn’t get a response from him we wrote (in mid December) to the (RCMP) commissioner (Bob Paulson),” Casey said. “Mr. Paulson indicated that he was going to meet with us but we haven’t had a reply at all from Assistant Commissioner Brennan.”
But Casey said he also has heard nothing further from Paulson and no meeting has been established.
Casey acknowledged he did meet last week with two RCMP officials in Halifax, who are involved with preparing a new report on the matter and which is supposed to be publicly released this month.
“They say it’s a study and it’s an open process but it’s only open one way. When I asked them for information they said they weren’t considering options. Then they said they had a suite of options.”
As for the 2004 report, Casey said he does not understand why it cannot be released given that it was paid for with taxpayer dollars.