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THE LAW AND ORDER AGENDA
Political leaders answer questions from police
by Morley Lymburner
As this is slated to be an election year we decided to elicit some answers to questions posed by our readership. We went to our over 17,000 viewers of the Blue Line Forum and posed a very simple question. “If you had the ear of the federal leaders of each of the major parties in parliament what questions would you like them to answer?”
Our readers responded in great numbers and it took some time to boil down questions that were the most persistent. WE sent out the questionaire to each leader of the respective parties and advised them If they would like to gain the respect and votes of our readers, along with their family, friends and acquaintances, we would like to publish their response in the August/September edition of Blue Line Magazine.
This is the second last issue before election day and the candidates were advised the next available edition (October) may well be too late to have an impact. This particular issue of Blue Line Magazine also coincides with the last distribution before the annual Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police Conference held in August at Quebec City.
Deadline for the submission was set for July 1 and several reminders were sent out during the month of June. As none of the parties nor any of their candidates responded to these questions we would strongly urge our readers to ask these questions of their respective candidates in their ridings. Then decide who is worthy of your vote. What follows is the exact questions posed.
Question #1:
In 2006 the government of Canada had the following platform:
Reinvest savings from cancellation of the ineffective long-gun registry program into hiring more front-line enforcement personnel, including filling 1,000 RCMP positions.
Negotiate with the provinces to create a new cost-shared program jointly with provincial and municipal governments, to put at least 2,500 more police on the beat in our cities and communities.
Invest $100 million per year of new federal money on criminal justice priorities, including working with the provinces and municipalities to hire more police, as well as victim assistance and youth crime prevention programs.
By 2012, all of this money was cut within the Deficit Reduction Plan. The RCMP alone took close to a $300 million cut, resulting in the elimination of hundreds of federal policing positions across the country, particularly in Ontario and Quebec. Yet there has been little to no mention of this reversal by the governing Conservatives or the opposition parties.
What is your party’s position on this matter?
Question #2:
How exactly do you plan to deal with the Supreme Court of Canada ruling that RCMP members are to have an independent police association? What would your time frame be for full implementation? How would an independent RCMP association look and be run in you parties opinion?
Question #3:
Would your party commit to ensuring the independence of the RCMP by taking its Commissioner out of his (or her) current position as a deputy minister, and instead reporting to Parliament rather than to the government in power?
Question #4:
Does your party endorse responsible gun ownership? If so, what would your party do to promote such a concept?
Question #5:
If your party could do one thing to enhance the delivery of policing services in Canada what would that be?
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