Mendicino says next RCMP commissioner needs to take force 'to newer heights'

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says he hopes the next commissioner of the RCMP takes the police force "to newer heights."

On Thursday, RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki announced she is retiring after almost five tumultuous years at the helm of Canada's national police force.

When asked what he's looking for in a replacement, Mendicino said there is a "wide range of priorities."

"Someone who will possess the experience, the skills, the qualifications, the values that are very much in alignment with the government, the mandate which is set out," he told reporters Thursday on Parliament Hill.

"But the key thing will be to make sure that we attract the very best and brightest person who is going to be able to meet the RCMP where they're at and take it to even newer heights."

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The federal government appoints the commissioner. The Liberals struck an outside committee, chaired by former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna, to consider candidates to replace Bob Paulson, who retired in June 2017. The committee tapped Lucki for the job in 2018.

Mendicino said more details about the replacement process will be made public soon.

"I can assure all Canadians that as the commissioner transitions to her retirement, that we will have a plan in place," he said.

"We will search out somebody who reflects the best values and capabilities and skills and who is committed to continuing to reform this institution."

Lucki's last day as commissioner will be March 17.

In a letter to staff, Lucki called her decision a personal one.

"I don't enjoy the 'would have,' 'should have' or 'could have' game," she wrote. "Of course there are things I could have done differently, but I leave knowing I did my best and take comfort that the RCMP is well placed to shine in its 150th year."

The past few years have not been easy on the outgoing commissioner.

Lucki came in for criticism in 2020 when she told some media outlets she was "struggling" to define the term when asked if there was systemic racism in the RCMP.

She later said she believes systemic racism exists in the force.

She ended 2022 facing calls for her resignation from the Opposition Conservatives and a provincial justice minister.

Alberta Justice Minister Tyler Shandro called her performances before two inquiries — the commission into the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting and the inquiry reviewing the government's decision to invoke the Emergencies Act  — "unforgivable."

And 2023 was also shaping up to be a difficult year for Lucki.

'Tireless efforts'

Tomorrow, Commissioner Paul Rouleau's report on the federal government's use of the Emergencies Act to end last year's convoy protests will be made public.

The commission's hearings heard that Lucki believed there were enforcement options available to clear the convoy protesters from Ottawa, but didn't alert the cabinet before it decided to invoke the Emergencies Act.

And next month, the commission in Nova Scotia will release its findings, which are expected to criticize how the Mounties responded to the active shooter and how the RCMP communicated with the public during the crisis.

While the timing of Lucki's departure has raised eyebrows, Mendicino has insisted her decision was personal.

"On the easiest of days, serving as commissioner of the RCMP is a challenging job." Mendicino said.

"The commissioner has shown tireless efforts in doing everything that she possibly can to protect Canadians."

Mendicino praised Lucki — the first woman to serve as a permanent RCMP commissioner.

"She inspired future generations of young women to see themselves better reflected in this institution," he said.