DNA BACKLOG GREW AS LIBERALS BLEW A BILLION ON GUN REGISTRY
Auditor General refused to speculate on reasons for RCMP Commissioner's erroneous testimony

Ottawa – This week the Auditor General once again vindicated the work of Saskatchewan M.P. Garry Breitkreuz. Three years after Garry and retired RCMP officers blew the whistle on the DNA backlogs at the RCMP Labs, all he can say is: “I told you so.”

“The Liberal government’s complete lack of understanding of criminal justice priorities let violent criminals walk the street for years, and they misled Parliament in the process,” fumed Breitkreuz. See link to Auditor General’s Report below.

“In October of 2003, the Liberal MPs on the Justice Committee voted down my motion to reduce the gun registry budget by $10 million and transfer it to the RCMP Labs to help deal with the DNA backlogs. In October of 2004, Anne McLellan, then Minister of Public Safety, refused to explain why she was wasting more than $100 million a year on the useless gun registry while starving the RCMP Labs for the cash necessary to clear the DNA backlog of more than 1,700 cases. My repeated questions in Parliament went unanswered,” said Breitkreuz.

“In November of 2004, I moved motions in the Standing Committee on Justice to get to the bottom of the issue and RCMP Commissioner Zaccardelli denied that there was a DNA backlog. Then in January 2005, in response to one of my written questions, Minister McLellan provided statistics that contradicted the Commissioner’s testimony.”

In May of 2005, retired RCMP forensic scientists Dave Hepworth and Gary McLeod testified before the Justice Committee and refuted the ‘no-backlog-claims’ being made by Commissioner Zaccardelli and Assistant Commissioner Joe Buckle. “It was after this conflicting testimony that the majority of the Justice Committee members supported my motion to have the Auditor General get the facts for Parliament. Of course, the Liberal members opposed my motion,” reported Breitkreuz.

“Canadian citizens owe a great debt of gratitude to retired RCMP officers Hepworth and McLeod for their dogged pursuit of the truth, justice and public safety. The RCMP has been promising to clear up this backlog since 1990. It’s time to make DNA analyses job one. Seventeen-years of the public’s safety has been jeopardized by the RCMP implementing Liberal political priorities instead of doing what makes the most sense!” concluded Breitkreuz.

MAY 1, 2007 - CHAPTER 7, REPORT OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL
RCMP Management of Forensic Laboratory Services
http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/domino/media.nsf/html/20070507pr_e.html

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