Vic Toews, Justice Critic
Peter MacKay, Public Safety Critic
Garry Breitkreuz, Associate Justice Critic

RCMP TABLES SHOW SHORTAGE OF 1,059 OFFICERS
Yet Anne McLellan states: “Currently, there are no unfulfilled requests for RCMP officers.”

Ottawa – Monday, in the House of Commons, Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan tabled her response to written question Q-176 stating: “Currently, there are no unfulfilled requests for RCMP officers.” She then went on to provide three pages of tables (see link below) that show a net shortage (‘variance’) of 1,059 RCMP officers across Canada. The tables show shortages of RCMP officers in every province including: British Columbia 281 officers; Ontario 139; Quebec 134; Alberta 85; Saskatchewan 44; Manitoba 41; New Brunswick 36; Newfoundland and Labrador 35; Nova Scotia 30; and the N.W.T is short 14 RCMP officers.

“This reminds me of a similar ridiculous statement made by this Minister where she claimed there wasn’t a DNA backlog, but in fact 1,043 requests for DNA analysis were still waiting for processing,” remarked Garry Breitkreuz. “She’s misleading the House in the same way this time. She claims there is no shortage of officers, when her department’s own figures show there is a huge shortage of RCMP officers across the country.”

McLellan’s tables also showed a shortage of RCMP officers to fulfill provincial contracts at 278 members; municipal contracts at 80 members; and 701 officers were needed to meet federal law enforcement responsibilities across Canada.

"Once again, the Liberal party and the Minister in particular show a reckless and arrogant disregard for the need to protect the public through an increased presence of front-line RCMP officers. Their priorities are so ridiculously out of step with the growing realities of increased violence, smuggling and crime generally, that one has to ask what will it take for this government to come to its senses,” said Peter MacKay.

"Years of RCMP budget cuts have taken their toll on Canadian communities," said Vic Toews. "It is time for the Minister to quit denying the critical shortage of RCMP officers and take responsibility for her failure to have sufficient officers in place to meet the demands of public safety."

McLellan’s Complete Response to Garry Breitkreuz’s Order Paper Question Q-176
http://www.cssa-cila.org/garryb/publications/2005_new/30.pdf

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For more information call:
Vic Toews, MP for Provencher (613) 992-3128
Peter MacKay, MP for Central Nova (613) 992-6022
Garry Breitkreuz, MP for Yorkton-Melville (613) 992-4394