Thoughts on BC Politics and More

Mayor Brenda Locke on Tuesday fired back at Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth after he issued a statement accusing her of failing to act “in the best interest of the people of Surrey” in connection with the policing transition. Locke in a statement said: “This dispute is about the City’s ability to choose its policing model. The City’s voters have chosen the RCMP and City Council has accordingly resolved to maintain the RCMP as its municipal police force .... CLICK HERE for the full story

The BC government said Tuesday that the city had rejected an offer that included a deal that would have covered any potential differences in cost of municipal police officers over the RCMP up to $20 million annually during a five-year period starting in 2029. That was in addition to an initial offering of $150 million in aid. It was a package that could have provided as much as $250 million to the city. “Last week, the mayor wrote to me advising me that council agreed in principle to the financial commitment. It is clear that the mayor and council ultimately chose divisiveness and uncertainty,”  BC Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said in a written statement Tuesday afternoon.... CLICK HERE for the full story

Citing the B.C. NDP government’s meddling in Surrey civic politics, former mayor Bob Bose has quit the party in protest after almost 50 years of membership.  Bose, who was mayor from 1988 to 1996, joined the party in 1974, when Dave Barrett was the premier. He had been privately debating whether to turn in his membership since Solicitor General Mike Farnworth overruled city council in July and ordered the Surrey Police Service (SPS) to take over from the RCMP.  “I'm really sorry that I've been driven to this decision, because most of my friends are members of the New Democratic Party. I've been deeply engaged at the federal, provincial and municipal level as a New Democrat, but the treatment of Surrey has just been unacceptable" ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Still no progress on a new budget to let city force resume recruiting    Nearly two months after the B.C. government ordered Surrey to continue a transition to a municipal police force, the Surrey Police Service says it continues to be in pause mode, unable to go on an active recruiting drive or hire new officers ... ... Another issue is the City of Surrey has still not definitively responded to the B.C. government’s order and stated publicly whether it is on board or whether it will fight the provincial decision ... CLICK HERE for the full news story