Fire Stockwell Day

Now ex-RCMP chief Guiliano Zaccardelli gave a press conference today to explain his resignation but as he addressed questions, his answers raised even more. Zaccardelli was emphatic about not having the capability to investigate his own officers after he learned Maher Arar had been sent to Syria by US officials, stating that that's what auditors like Sheila Fraser or Justice O'Connor are for. He claimed that because the RCMP handles thousands of files and documents, it was almost impossible for him to uncover why Arar had ended up in Syria. He was the RCMP commissioner. One would think that he would have rounded up all of the officers involved in the Arar case at the time to find out what had happened - especially in such startling circumstances. Instead, he failed to do so and is now trying to abdicate responsibility for not doing his job.

Another nugget Zaccardelli dropped during his press conference was his claim that as soon as he realized he may have 'misled' the public safety committee in September, he contacted the committee's clerk to ask that he be allowed to correct the record. That's significant because he said that happened before he sent the now infamous Novermber 2nd letter to the committee which has prompted people like Mark Holland to wonder when the government knew about Zaccardelli's changed testimony since Harper claimed this week that he just learned about it when the public did. The reason this matters, of course, is that if the government knew of the inconsistencies, (Zaccardelli testified in September that he knew about the incorrect information supplied to the US authorities in 2002, not after O'Connor's report came out which he claims now), one is left to wonder why Harper and Day had continued to express confidence in Zaccardelli and did not take any disciplinary action against him.

Stockwell Day appeared in front of the public safety committee Thursday morning and, in a stunning display of complete arrogance and contempt, refused to directly answer an important question posed by Liberal MP Mark Holland:

Via CTV:

It has also been reported that Day and other key cabinet ministers were pushing for Zaccardelli's dismissal as early as several months ago, but Prime Minister Stephen Harper resisted the pressure.

The Canadian Press reported that behind closed doors Day, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay and Justice Minister Vic Toews all expressed their wish that Zaccardelli be fired.

Holland, citing that report, asked Day today: "Did you push the prime minister for the commissioner to be released or fired? Yes or no?"

Day refused to answer. And late Wednesday, the prime minister's office denied another account of two senior government officials saying that Harper had defended Zaccardelli for months in the face of criticism from his own ministers.

In fact, Day kept telling Holland that his response to that question was in the [CP] article and refused to give Holland a simple yes or no answer during his testimony today. You can view that testy exchange here. Click on 'CTV Newsnet: Stockwell Day on the RCMP Fallout pt 2'. Day obviously loathes Holland and insulted him personally several times in a display that was certainly less than worthy of someone who holds a cabinet position and was testifying before a parliamentary committee. Day is an absolute disgrace and his head should be on the chopping block next.

Since it's well known that Harper maintains strict control over what his cabinet ministers say in public, one can only assume that Day's behaviour in committee today was thoroughly sanctioned by him as well. If Harper does not reprimand or publicly disavow Day's contempt we can only be left to believe that he endorses it and, knowing how mean-spirited Harper is anyway, don't expect any criticism of Day from him any time soon. He was probably watching the exchange from his office and cheering him on.

See also: A Most Righteous Smackdown of the Conservative Government.