Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

UBCM Issues Update on the Future of RCMP Contract Policing

Although official confirmation has not yet been provided, the federal government has indicated its willingness to re-negotiate the 20-year RCMP Police Service Agreements (PSA) that are set to expire in 2032. This comes as local governments, including UBCM, continue to call on the federal government to directly involve local governments as part of any negotiations. 

Following the federal government’s 2022-2024 assessment of RCMP contract policing, the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs advised of the intention to work with provinces and territories on the renegotiation of the PSAs. However, a March 2025 white paper by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, which recommended that the federal government end its contract policing program, combined with the subsequent federal election, re-introduced uncertainty.

In October, as part of the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Justice and Public Safety, the federal Minister of Public Safety, the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, “expressed a commitment to negotiate with interested jurisdictions on contract policing beyond 2032.” 

One week later, the Minister of Public Safety re-iterated this position to the Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs.

While it appears that the federal government will seek new PSAs with interested contract partners, the role of local governments, as part of any negotiations, remains unclear. Local governments contribute more towards RCMP policing in BC than the federal and provincial governments. 

In 2024, this amounted to $855.5 million, up by 10% ($76.4 million) from the previous year. 

Despite this financial contribution, and the role that the RCMP plays in communities across Canada, the federal government has been unwilling to commit to directly including local governments in PSA negotiations.   

UBCM delivered a letter in September 2025, along with all Western Canadian local government associations, to the Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety, requesting direct involvement in any upcoming PSA negotiations. Reasons given for this request included the financial impact on local governments, as well as their unique interests separate from provincial and territorial governments. 

One week later, at UBCM’s Annual Convention, members endorsed a special resolution calling on the Province and federal government to directly involve UBCM and BC local governments as part of PSA negotiations; and, that local government priorities be considered as part of this process. 

As the federal government ponders next steps in the process to negotiate new PSAs, the Province of BC is still considering recommendations made by the all-party Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act, including whether to implement a new provincial police service to replace the RCMP. 

UBCM continues to oppose this option, citing a lack of evidence to support such a significant change. 

 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Budget 2027: After a Decade of Decline, NDP Budget Delivers an Assault on Seniors, Working Families, and Small Businesses

Peter Milobar, BC Conservative Finance Critic, condemned the NDP government’s latest budget as the result of a decade of decline that has left British Columbians broke, unsafe, and paying more for less.   “After ten years of NDP mismanagement, this budget is an assault on seniors, working families, and the small businesses that drive our economy,” said Milobar. “The NDP have turned their back on the people working hardest to make ends meet and the seniors who built this province.” Milobar pointed to a new $1.1 billion annual income tax increase and warned that the government is piling new costs onto households already struggling with affordability.   “This government keeps asking British Columbians for more, while delivering less,” Milobar said. “The question people are asking is simple: Where has all the money gone?” Milobar noted that BC has gone from a surplus in the first year of NDP government to a projected deficit of more than $13 billion this year, while prov...
Post a Comment
Read more

WARD STAMER -- Those are REAL forestry numbers, not just made-up numbers

The following is a condensed version of remarks Kamloops – North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer’s made, regarding Forestry, in the BC Legislature, on Tuesday afternoon (02/24/2026)   Let’s talk a little bit, when we talk about Budget 2026, about the forest industry, which is near and dear to my heart. Forestry remains one of British Columbia’s foundational industries. It’s a pillar that built this province. Entire communities depend upon it. Interior towns, northern communities, Vancouver Island regions, the Kootenays, the Lower Mainland, with manufacturing facilities in Surrey and Maple Ridge, just to name a few — everywhere in BC is touched by forestry. One word that was not mentioned in Budget 2026 was forestry. That’s a shame, an incredible shame. It wasn’t an oversight – it was intentional. This government has driven forestry into the ground .... INTO THE GROUND! We can talk a little bit about some of the initiatives that this government has brought forth, to try to resurrect ...
Post a Comment
Read more

FORSETH -- Before anyone gets excited about one poll showing a candidate with a 25 percent lead, and 44 percent support overall, let’s give it a few more weeks

Is this based in reality -- how accurate are the numbers? In the past couple of weeks a couple of candidates, for the leadership of the BC Conservative Party, have been presenting polling results that they lead the pack – one even going so far as to say they have a lock on 44% of those who will be voting, and a twenty-five percent lead over the individual ranked second. I am going to say that this one, from Kerry-Lynne Findlay, is highly suspect. First of all the company conducting the poll, ERG National Research, is not a Member of Industry Bodies (the Canadian Research Insights Council), meaning they do not adhere to established industry standards for research, such as transparency, privacy, and methodological rigor. AI Overview states that ... based on alerts from the Canadian Research Insights Council (CRIC) and reports, ERG National Research should be treated with extreme caution regarding its reliability, and legitimacy, in conducting political polling. Before I even read this in...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more