The Premier of this province refuses to call, at this time at least, a judicial inquiry into the shooting death of Don Dunphy at the hands of his personal body guard. A disgraceful, arrogant, and out of touch position that angers the people here to the core. Yet, the ruling PC cabinet refuses to call an inquiry.
The reasoning goes something like this: "There is an ongoing investigation...there maybe criminal charges as a result...the investigation may leave no questions left to answer...those calling for it are playing politics." This is the kind of foolishness that often passes for governance here in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Here's some background for those that don't know the province, or those in the province that don't scrutinize the government's actions on a daily basis like a few of us do...:
1. The RNCA (the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Association) is a union-like association representing the RNC officers in this province. Since 1999 it has donated thousands of dollars each year to the ruling PC Party - almost exclusively. It donated $10,000.00 to Paul Davis for his successful leadership campaign. All of this in violation of the RNC Act, which makes it illegal.
2. The RNC forms the premier's personal protection force - ie: bodyguards. The RCMP are also involved in this function.
3. The premier is a retired RNC officer. He appointed a retired RNC Chief as his Chief of Staff.
4. On Easter Friday a member of the premier's office flagged a tweet from Don Dunphy, which was not a threat, but sent it to the personal body guard of the premier anyway.
5. On Saturday, the next day, the premier attended a hockey game with his family without any security what so ever.
6. On Easter Sunday a member of the premier's bodyguard, dressed in plain clothes, driving the premier's personal black SUV, arrived at Don Dunphy's, was invited into his home, and 15 minutes later the officer shot Don Dunphy dead. Apparently the conversation took a turn for the worse, for "whatever reason", and Don pulled a weapon on the officer. Or so the officer says.
So, we have a police force, politically linked to the governing party, whose officer, the premier's bodyguard, shot and killed an injured worker and vocal opponent of the governing party in his own home - without witnesses. Pardon the hell out of me, but if that isn't the most bizarre set of circumstances in a so-called democracy, then I don't know what would be. The problem here is that nobody in our society wants to be held accountable. It's the culture of "unaccountability". Wasn't me. Wasn't my fault. Wasn't his fault. It was nobody's fault. Shit happens. Oh well. This is what passes for democracy in Newfoundland.
Then, in a further bizarre twist, we have the opposition Liberals, who are meant to clean up the mess left by the PC's after the next election, refusing to call for a public inquiry. Ironically, they are spouting the same buzzwords and talking points the discredited PC's are. It's like politics submersed in complete slime. Andrew Parsons, the Liberal justice critic, had the actual nerve to state people calling for a public inquiry were playing politics. Apparently, Parsons and the Liberals, along with the PCs are unable to to tell the difference between "holding people to account" and "playing politics". A completely disgraceful position. A despicable attempt to marginalize people outraged and seeking accountability over an innocent man's death at the hands of a premier's bodyguard in 21rst century Canada by framing it as "playing politics". It turns my stomach. The NDP, to their credit, came out yesterday calling for such an inquiry.
The biggest question right now is why won't the government call an inquiry? Why are the Liberals backing that position, rather than seeking the truth, and listening to the public? Obviously the Judicial Inquiry could not commence until after the investigation is finished, but it can be called to commence immediately after the investigation. The judge can be appointed. The terms of reference can be crafted. All the administrative issues could be resolved. We called it "concurrent activity" in the army. Civilians call it "multitasking". Bottom line is there is no reason to not announce there will be an inquiry after the investigation. Instead, Minister King said yesterday that a judicial inquiry won't be called unless he feels the investigation comes up short. So, the political people, who accepted illegal political donations from members of the RNC, are going to decide whether an officer of the RNC (who was the premier's personal bodyguard), and the office of the premier will be subjected to a judicial review over the killing of an opponent of the government - not witnessed.
Name me another jurisdiction in Canada where we would even be talking about this. That's how rotten to the core the political elite of this province are. That is just how badly things need to change here. Donny Dunphy did not die in vain. He's become the symbol of victims of an irresponsible, corrupted elite within our province.
Showing posts with label RNCA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RNCA. Show all posts
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Saturday, July 19, 2014
All the King's Men - Part 6 - Paul Davis and the RNCA
Davis became best known in the province as the public voice for the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC). He joined the force in 1985 and retired in 2010 - just as he entered elected political life at the provincial level. As part of his service i the RNC, Davis served on the Executive of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Association (RNCA) - from 2005-2010. It is this period that casts a shadow over Davis's judgement and leadership qualities.
The RNCA is essentially the "union" for officers of the RNC. The RNCA lists, as its first objective as: "The goals and objectives of the RNCA are to improve benefits and working conditions for police officers." Nothing inherently wrong with that. Every union, or in this case "professional association" does the same thing. However, unlike other trades, or professions, the RNCA are restricted in how they can "improve benefits and working conditions." The primary restriction on that practice is a ban on political activity by RNC officers - ie: those that make up the RNCA:
From the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Regulations:
"Officer's Conduct:
7. (1) (A) A police officer shall not:
(d) wear the emblem, mark or insignia of a political party or in another way manifest political partisanship.
(3) A POLICE OFFICER WHO FAILS TO COMPLY WITH OR OTHERWISE CONTRAVENES A PROVISION OF THESE REGULATIONS IS GUILTY OF AN OFFENCE.
Seems straight forward enough. While officers have the right to advance their positions through the RNCA, the law of the Province requires they do so without "manifesting political partisanship". However, that is not what's been happening - and Davis had a hand in that.
The RNCA's entry into official political partisan activities first appears in 1999 with a $200.00 election contribution to PC candidate John Ottenheimer - yes the same John Ottenheimer that is now also running for the PC leadership (much more on him in another post). It made no other donations to any political party. In that same year, "Coppers" (the RNCA Mess) donated $200.00 to the PC Party. That's where the long relationship between the RNCA and the PC Party started. Also, in that same year, RNC officers were banned from staging protests by the provincial Liberal government - which caused fury in the ranks of the RNC. Whether or not the entry into political donations is tied to the dissatisfaction of a ruling against them is uncertain - although it pops up again in 2007.
In 2007, while Davis was an RNC officer, and a member of the Executive of the RNCA, the force became entangled with the then PC government in contract issues. Specifically, the PC government refused to grant the RNC the wage increases they were demanding, and the matter had to be settled by arbitration http://www.gov.nl.ca/lra/arbitration_awards/pdf/20070531_Provincial_Government_Public%20Services%20Secretariat_Executive_Council_and_RNCA_Arbitrator_Fagan_Christine.pdf
It was the only year the RNCA refused to contribute to the PC Party, and instead made a donation of $500.00 to the opposition Liberals:
1999 - John Ottenheimer - $ 200.00 (election)
1999 - PC Party - $ 200.00
2001 - PC Party -$ 1250.00
2002 - PC Party -$ 1250.00
2003 - PC Party -$ 1000.00 (election)
2003 - PC Party -$ 1750.00
2004 - PC Party -$ 3000.00
2005 - PC Party -$ 1800.00
2007 - Liberal Party -$ 500.00
2008 - PC Party -$ 2000.00
2009 - PC Party -$ 2000.00
2010 - PC Party -$ 2000.00
2010 - Paul Davis -$ 1000.00 (by-election)
2011 - PC Party -$ 2000.00
Liberal Party -$ 1200.00
2011 - Paul Davis -$ 1000.00 (election)
2012 - PC Party -$ 2000.00
Liberal Party -$ 1650.00
When the story was cast under light by the Telegram in Dec, 2011, they received this response from Tim Buckle - RNCA President:
"The RNC Association supports the political process... Fundraising by political parties is an aspect of politics, and we have supported both (the Tories and Liberals)"
Buckle admits that "fundraising" is "an aspect of politics". In other words, Buckle admits that the Association has broken the law by violating the prohibition on partisan politics incorporated in the "Regulations".
Now, the stated goal of the Association is to "improve benefits and working conditions for police officers". In other words, get better pay, benefits, etc for its members - who are all RNC police officers. That is its primary role. Therefore, it can be easily argued the RNCA is making financial contributions to the governing party to influence its ability to get those increases and benefits. The problem with that is it violates the Criminal Code of Canada:
"(2) Every one commits an offence who, in order to obtain or retain a contract with the government, or as a term of any such contract, whether express or implied, directly or indirectly subscribes or gives, or agrees to subscribe or give, to any person any valuable consideration
(a) for the purpose of promoting the election of a candidate or a class of party of candidates to Parliament or the legislature of a province; or
(b) with intent to influence or affect in any way the result of an election conducted for the purpose of electing persons to serve in Parliament or the legislature of a province."
It seems clear that the RNCA, including by his participation Davis, withdrew financial support of the PC Party when contract negotiations were forced to arbitration in 2007. It also seems clear that the RNCA started contributing to the PC Party (and parties in general) after a conflict with the then Liberal government in 1999. The "implied" message being quite obviously that political donations will be held back if contracts are not negotiated to the RNCA's satisfaction. That would violate the Criminal Code, and its corruption provisions. It is also quite obvious that the RNCA intended to influence the result of an election, because it donated to Davis and the PC Party directly in election and by-election contributions.
I personally had a similar type situation indirectly with Davis in 2010. He, along with Terry French, were presenting on election readiness to the PC Party convention. While sharing the stage with Davis, French advocated that delegates should approach paving contractors for donations - reminding them where their contracts came from. When that issue hit the press French did not deny he had said it. More importantly, for the purposes of his leadership integrity, Davis did not come forward and admit the comments were made. Coincidentally, French is now Davis's co-campaign manager for the leadership.
The bottom line is that Davis was involved with making political donations from the RNCA to the PC Party from at least 2005-2010. He accepted personal political donations from the RNCA for his election to office. All of which appear to violate a number of laws. That raises the question in my mind: Is Paul Davis fit to be premier of this Province? The answer: He looks the part, but his actions say different.
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