OTTAWA—The federal Conservatives are directly exerting strict communications control over the RCMP and its new top cop, documents obtained by the Star reveal.

Public Safety documents released under Access to Information show that top political staff of Minister Vic Toews oversaw and approved the design of the new RCMP communications protocol that put the national police force on a tighter leash.

As the Star first reported, that protocol requires the RCMP to flag anything that might “garner national media attention” to Public Safety Canada.

New documents show that Toews’ office had a direct hand in crafting the policy, working with the RCMP’s new public affairs director — Daniel Lavoie — a former associate assistant deputy minister in Toews’ department.

Lavoie, who moved to the RCMP from Public Safety last summer, advised his former colleagues that implementing the new protocol “will require a change of mentality” at the RCMP, even though the force already flagged important media issues to the government.

“It will make for many interesting discussions,” Lavoie wrote in an Aug. 29 email.

Lavoie’s emails show he met with outgoing RCMP boss William Elliott as the protocol was developed. None of the emails suggests Lavoie or Elliott raised any concerns about the RCMP’s independence.

Indeed, a rush was put on to get the new policy signed even as the search for a new commissioner to replace Elliott was nearing its final stages.

The documents show it was developed under the watchful eye of Toews’ chief of staff Andrew House and communications director Michael Patton, contrary to initial suggestions to the Star by Patton that he was unaware of a new policy.

On top of that comes a new edict from Toews’ office that requires Elliott’s replacement, Commissioner Bob Paulson, to vet all his meetings with MPs and senators first through his political bosses.

Liberal Senator Colin Kenny condemned the new policy, calling it unprecedented interference on the independence of the arm’s-length national police force.

“If this guy kowtows, the whole force has got problems,” said Kenny, who has been rebuffed in attempts to meet with Paulson. “The cops aren’t meant to be part of the political apparatus.”

In an interview, Kenny said he met with each of the last nine commissioners without a problem in their offices or over dinner.

Kenny, former chair of the Senate committee on national security and defence, wrote Paulson earlier this month asking to get together. Paulson, who was sworn in as the new commissioner November, responded that he would ask his staff to set up a meeting.

After several days of silence, Kenny wrote again.

Paulson replied he’d since become aware of “guidelines” from the Department of Public Safety on his dealings with MPs and Senators.

“I may have to respectfully ask you to route your interest for a meeting through the minister’s office or the department,” Paulson wrote.

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Kenny expressed disbelief, replying, “I find it incredible that you would accept such a restriction.

“None of your predecessors tolerated any interference in meeting with anyone they choose,” Kenny said in an email shared with the Star.

He warned Paulson that the Conservative edict would “diminish the independence of your office and your institution, both of which are essential to the well-being of Canadians.”

Paulson disagreed with Kenny’s characterization, replying it was “not fair of you to suggest I’m telling you I’ve been muzzled. I didn’t say that and I have not been. I understand it simply to be a professional courtesy to your fellow parliamentarian(s) that you engage them in your interest.”

An RCMP spokesman downplayed the role of the minister’s office in the development of the new policy.

“They were consulted once it was developed,” Insp. Marc Richer said in a written reply. “It is working fine,” and is in line with past practices, as is the policy on vetting meetings with MPs and Senators, he said.

When Kenny contacted Toews’ office, he was told if he wanted a meeting, representatives from the NDP and Conservatives would be invited to sit in as well “to ensure that all Parliamentarians are given the same level of access to officials,” writes Mark Johnson, issues manager in Toews’ ministerial office.

Kenny said the arrangement is unworkable and “ridiculous.”

NDP public safety critic Jasbir Sandhu (Surrey North) says the notion that other parties would sit in on a meeting he might seek with Paulson or RCMP managers “is very troubling.”

“The RCMP needs to work in an independent way,” he said.

“I may have some information about the opposition party or about the government that I want to share (. . .) I may want to share some information that I have received from the general public about some concerns within the government. I think it would be inappropriate for the government or the Liberal members” to audit the meeting, said Sandhu.