OrJustAnotherCountryVille
On Thursday June 15th, Surrey Council met in secret to vote in secret to support retaining the RCMP to police their city's citizenry on the basis, at least part, of a secret 'corporate report' generated by city staff that laid out how things (apparently) could and should be done.
During that day, and the next few days that followed, there were a number of messages that went back and forth between members of the staffs of Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke and provincial Solicitor General Mike Farnworth trying to set up a meeting between the two to discuss the matter.
Farnworth's chief of staff made it clear that the minister would only meet with the mayor after he had read the above mentioned report to ensure that what Surrey was proposing was actually possible.
The following Monday, June 19th, Locke held a press conference and called Farnworth a bully and a misogynist whose office was sending aggressive messages on the basis of an Email one of her staff members received from Farnworth's office on Friday June 16th.
The Vancouver Sun's Joseph Ruttle reported on the matter thusly at the time:
Now, a month later, we can read that allegedly 'aggressive' Email from Friday June 19th that was sent by Farnworth's chief of staff to Locke's executive assistant at 9:47pm that night.
It comes our way thanks to an FOI release that was reported on by Bob Mackin in Business in Vancouver this past Friday:
Which is all fine and good and says something about what is considered 'aggressive' discourse between local and provincial government officials.
But here is something more troubling, at least to my mind:
Gosh.
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On Thursday June 15th, Surrey Council met in secret to vote in secret to support retaining the RCMP to police their city's citizenry on the basis, at least part, of a secret 'corporate report' generated by city staff that laid out how things (apparently) could and should be done.
During that day, and the next few days that followed, there were a number of messages that went back and forth between members of the staffs of Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke and provincial Solicitor General Mike Farnworth trying to set up a meeting between the two to discuss the matter.
Farnworth's chief of staff made it clear that the minister would only meet with the mayor after he had read the above mentioned report to ensure that what Surrey was proposing was actually possible.
The following Monday, June 19th, Locke held a press conference and called Farnworth a bully and a misogynist whose office was sending aggressive messages on the basis of an Email one of her staff members received from Farnworth's office on Friday June 16th.
The Vancouver Sun's Joseph Ruttle reported on the matter thusly at the time:
... Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke called a press conference and accused (Farnworth) and Premier David Eby of “fearmongering.” Locke said she and Farnworth have yet to talk, outside of an “aggressive” email sent by one of his staffers on Friday...{snip}...(Locke) went on to call Farnworth a “bully” and claimed the way she’s been treated smacks of “misogyny.”...
Now, a month later, we can read that allegedly 'aggressive' Email from Friday June 19th that was sent by Farnworth's chief of staff to Locke's executive assistant at 9:47pm that night.
It comes our way thanks to an FOI release that was reported on by Bob Mackin in Business in Vancouver this past Friday:
..."Minister Farnworth would like to meet with Mayor Locke per her request," Snoddon wrote. "The Minister is looking to receive the corporate report as agreed to in order to schedule a meeting. My understanding from staff is that the city has not transferred the report to the province at this time of my email. As you know, this is a very urgent matter. Can you please let me know when I can expect to receive the report?"...
Which is all fine and good and says something about what is considered 'aggressive' discourse between local and provincial government officials.
But here is something more troubling, at least to my mind:
...(Surrey Mayor) Locke also told reporters that provincial officials signed the NDAs at 11:27 a.m. (Monday June 19th), just like the provincial officials required Locke and company to sign to read the province's late April report that recommended adopting the SPS (Surrey Police Service)...
Gosh.
NDA's (a.ka. non-disclosure/confidentiality/secrecy agreements) everywhere for secret reports between government entities about a matter that is of crucial importance to the public lives of the citizens of Surrey.
Why are we doing things this way?
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Now, before you argue that it's reasonable to keep things secret because so much is sensitive in these matters, Surrey has just released it's most recent 'Corporate Report' on this matter which includes the provincial government report as one of the appendices...See if you can find anything there that the public should not be able to see, read and discuss?...I sure as heck can't.
Why are we doing things this way?
______
Now, before you argue that it's reasonable to keep things secret because so much is sensitive in these matters, Surrey has just released it's most recent 'Corporate Report' on this matter which includes the provincial government report as one of the appendices...See if you can find anything there that the public should not be able to see, read and discuss?...I sure as heck can't.
Meanwhile...As Gordon Hoekstra pointed out in the Sun late last week...The province's decision, via Farnworth, should be coming this week...At issue may be some of the projections in the Surrey Corp Report...Especially those that say most of the folks hired by the SPS will join the RCMP to fill the ranks.
Earworm burrowing through the sub-header?....This!
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8 comments:
“Why are we doing things this way?” Good question ! It only seems to make matters worse.
let us get back to the real reason, the former mayor wanted to get rid of the RCMP. simply, the RCMP are the only police force in BC to have the resources to investigate politcal corruption.
I live in Delta and the Delta Police force is OK I guess, the have a good "pipe band", but are dead useless to deal with serious crime. Surrey is up to its collective arm-pits in serious crime and the new police force will just be "beefed-up" by-law enforcers.
I have a lot of problems with the RCMP, but replacing them with a bunch of Duddley-Do-Rights, is not the answer.
As for the politics of this, the NDP sided with a questionable mayor with no real civic mandate to make the change and now it has blown up in their face, at a point of time that the current "unnelected" Premier (he has not one an election as premier) is about to call an election, MLA rich Surrey may win or loose Eby the golden ring.
really don't know why Locke is carrying on in the manner she is. Would love to know the back story on that one. The RCMP was created back in the day when Canada was a rural country. We aren't today.
Locke accused Farnsworth of misogeny and being a bully?????? but offers no evidence. There is nothing in the memo from Farnsworth's staffer which is misogenistic. Given Locke's inability to deal with the usual correspondence in government perhaps she should consider finding something else to do.
The RCMP is no longer a viable police force. Its been riddled with scandals. When 300 women sign on to a class action lawsuite for sexual harassment, etc. there is a problem. How can a police force which doesn't accept women as equals on the job investigate issues such as sexual assault, domestic violence, etc. Then of course there was the behaviour of some RCMP officers in Surrey during the "Surrey 6" case. Having sex with a 'witness' is really not a good move.
Surrey is simply too large a city to be policed by a force which does not report to the City. Surrey's police officer's are paid by Ottawa, promoted by Ottawa, governed by Ottawa. Their first loyalty is usually to Ottawa from which all benefits flow. Any town which has a population of 100K or more needs to have their own police force.
Ottawa needs to get out of the civic policing business. If nothing else policing in provinces needs to be financed by provinces.
Evil Eye, Eby was elected, that is how he got to be an MLA. How he became Premier is how a number of others became premier in this province and for that matter any number of other premiers in Canada. Its how we do political business in Canada. The system has worked for a very long time. Its also how the federal parties work as do several other nations.
Memo to e.a.f.
Eby was elected as a MLA to parliament, he was not elected as the party leader or Premier of the province.
Parliamentary tradition would have him call a general election which he has not done. He has not been elected by the electorate as premier.
More and more the NDP are descending into Gordon Campbell's, view of politics, with their excuses and why the NDP seem to be nothing more than BC Liberal Lite.
Sadly in BC, both major politcal parties have tossed parliamentary tradition out the window, when it suits them, which translates that both do not give a damn about the voter, only power, for the sake of power.
You also show the NDP's hate of the RCMP, well try focusing on the Delta Police or the Vancouver Police force force and the many scandals they they have been involved with. So much has been swept under the carpet for politcal expediency.
Eby is legally the Premier of the Province and there is no need to call an election.
G.B. has gone through a few P.M.s but no election.
When it comes to scandals, yes its like the VPD isn't responsible to any one. It might be best if the dept had a new Chief and then explain to the rank and file, rules apply to them also.
The NDP's hate for the RCMP???? The RCMP is a gong show.
Don't know much about the Delta police force, my knowledge only is for some years in the 1960s.
No other police force in Canada has had over 300 members file a class action law suit. Did the RCMP learn anything? Not so much, last week another woman was taking the RCMP to court. They never learn.
Tomorrow we most likely will hear what Farnsworth has to say, so put up your feet, grab a coffee and watch the press conference.
Memo to e.a.f.
Eby maybe strictly legal to be premier, I did not say it was illegal, but he, like Gordon Campbell not accepting the rump NDP as the official opposition in 2001, ignored political convention by not calling an election.
Parliament operates, well it did operate, by convention and not law and to ignore convention, in turn ignores the law. Eby, continuing to do what the other guys and gals did, tells me he is unfit as premier. Actions speak louder than words i am afraid but with a chorus of die hard members of the party who vote for the party and not how the party is run, tells me that the NDP are not the right party to lead the province.
As for Farnsworth, I do no listen to him because he is not worth listening too, simple as that, an NDP apparatchik who has been promoted way beyond his ability.
With a fractured regional police force, political corruption will increase unabated, and that is the real danger facing this province and country, politcal corruption.
As much as I'm disgusted by our poiticians and our illogical electoral system, I'd hate to back to completely corporate government of the past.
The NDP are the least offensive group as opposed to the *ahem* new party that has changed it's name to protect the guilty, like most right wing/corporate parties across the nation.
As far as Locke is concerned, She can barely speak coherently enough to even understand what the hell she is talking about.
As far as I can understand, she supported getting rid of the RCMP previously and has changed her mind for no particular reason, while pissing away millions of tax money of the citizens of Surrey.
I think Farnworth needed to do something to stop the shit show created by the intellectually challenged politicos in Surrey before it got worse and ended in a much bigger mess.
JP--
Agreed.
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