The NDP’s Public Safety critic says the sudden move by Ottawa to rubber stamp raises for the Mounties while keeping BC in the dark, is shocking.
Kathy Corrigan says it completely contrary to an recent RCMP contract signing where a new relationship was stressed by both sides.
She said “and then we find out even as they are talking I would imagine the federal government was absolutely aware that these new costs were simply going to be dumped on these municipalities without any consultation without any discussion at all in advance so it really concerns me.”
Corrigan says after long negotiations where mayors stressed to Ottawa the need for cost containment and accountability, it looks like the plea fell on deaf ears..
She said “The one thing that municipalities said they wanted and which the provincial government was attained in the new agreement with the RCMP was cost control and some level of accountability and oversight and here we have before the ink is even dry we get a missive from the federal government saying that by the way costs are going to go up.”
Corrigan says the move stinks especially when it comes to the timing.
She said “And this just happened, what? a day or two before the contract expired and after they had signed this new agreement it is just astounding and it shows an arrogance from the federal government and it also makes me concerned about whether or not the interests of municipalities were truly protected by the provincial government when they signed the contract.”
Corrigan says municipalities, including her own in Burnaby, may now rethink ratifying the RCMP deal with an end of month deadline looming.
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