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RCMP watchdog waiting over two years for Mountie views on its own foot-dragging

130 outstanding interim reports had been awaiting replies from the RCMP commissioner for more than 6 months
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RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki listens to a question during a news conference in Ottawa, Wednesday October 21, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

The RCMP watchdog has waited more than two years for the national police force to respond to its interim report that, perhaps fittingly, found the Mounties were too slow in reviewing the watchdog’s findings in an earlier matter.

An official in the watchdog’s office details the wait — one of dozens of such delays — in an affidavit filed in support of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association’s court action against RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki.

The association is seeking a Federal Court declaration that the commissioner violated the RCMP Act through an “unconscionable delay” in responding to the watchdog’s interim report about allegations of spying on anti-oil protesters.

Nika Joncas-Bourget, general counsel for reviews with the complaints commission, says in the affidavit that as of Jan. 18, 156 interim reports by the complaints body were awaiting a response from the top Mountie.

This included 130 outstanding interim reports that had been awaiting replies from the RCMP commissioner for more than six months.

In 106 of those cases the complaints body had been waiting on a response for at least one year.