2021 FEDERAL ELECTION QUESTIONNAIRE
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2021 FEDERAL ELECTION
QUESTIONNAIRE
On August 20th, the National Police Federation (NPF) has sent an election
questionnaire to the main political parties to help our Members consider various
political party platforms and key policies that impact your activities as RCMP
Members. While we have not received responses from all parties yet,
please see below those received to date.
2021 Federal Election Questionnaire01
HOW WILL YOUR PARTY ADDRESS THE INCREASED
BACKLOG IN GRADUATES THAT DEPOT IS FACING
DUE TO COVID-19?
The previous Conservative government cut the number of Every Canadian should have the confidence to know that
RCMP cadet graduates in half. We have been if they are in danger and pick up the phone to call
re-investing and ramped up training to graduate more 9-1-1, someone will be available to help. Conservatives
cadets. While the pandemic temporarily interrupted recognize that staff shortages at depot and amongst
that pace, we remain committed to training the cadets RCMP personnel must be addressed. Canada’s Recovery
the Force needs. The Government of Canada is Plan will hire an additional 200 RCMP officers to be based
pleased to have reached a tentative agreement with the where the need is highest, in the GTA and the Lower
National Police Federation to establish a first collective Mainland. These officers will be specifically deployed to
agreement for RCMP members and reservists. This crack down on gang violence and the smuggling of guns
agreement follows our 2017 legislation allowing RCMP and drugs. We have seen a marked increase in gang
regular members and reservists to unionize and bargain activity, and the hiring and deployment of these officers
collectively for the first time. The collective agreements’ will help keep our communities safe while getting illegal
improvements will help recruitment and better support guns and drugs off our streets.
regular members and reservists so that they can do
their best work for Canadians. We continue identifying,
developing and implementing strategies that will enable
the RCMP to continually respond to the existing and
changing human resource requirements to combat crime
and criminality domestically and internationally. The
Liberal government is also committed to ensuring that
women, racialized communities, Indigenous people and
the LGBTQ2 community are welcomed, represented
and respected as members of a national workforce as
recruits at Depot and as serving members. This includes
following up on the recommendations from external
recommendations surrounding workplace harassment and
sexual abuse, and following through on the Final Report
of the Implementation of the Merlo Davidson Settlement
Agreement.
2021 Federal Election Questionnaire
2Le Bloc Québécois estime qu’il est important de soutenir We understand that the pandemic has caused backlogs
la GRC à une époque où plusieurs groupes tentent au in a number of areas that could persist. New Democrats
contraire d’amputer son financement. Nous serions prêts will ensure RCMP Members are able to get the training
à appuyer une augmentation de budget pour combler they need to respond appropriately to the situations
l’arriéré des formations. D’autres ministères, comme they are expected to face and are able to complete
la Défense, souffrent du même problème, ce qui a their full training. We have also announced a number of
d’importants impacts pour nos collectivités. measures aimed at helping Canada deal with the fourth
wave, including a plan to protect health care workers and
encourage vaccinations amongst populations that are
under-vaccinated. We are hopeful that these measures
will help Canada address the COVID-19 pandemic and
prevent further backlogs.
2021 Federal Election Questionnaire
302 WHAT WILL YOUR PARTY DO TO INVEST IN MUCH NEEDED
02 EQUIPMENT MODERNIZATION THAT WILL ASSIST RCMP
MEMBERS TO DELIVER EFFECTIVE AND ESSENTIAL
SERVICES TO CANADIANS?
The Liberal Party of Canada is committed to ensuring We’ve made a series of investments in the First Nations
that officers have the resources they need to their job Policing Program: $291.2 million to support officer
to maintain public safety. We recognize that officers safety, equipment, salaries and additional officers, $88.6
need the equipment and training required to safely million in policing facilities, and, most recently, $108.6
and effectively respond to a wide variety of incidents. million over five years to repair, renovate, and replace
Since forming government, we have made regular policing facilities in First Nation and Inuit communities.
important investments in the RCMP to ensure they On December 7, 2020, the RCMP’s national operational
have the resources required to ensure modernization. standard on Active Threat Training and Equipment
Budget 2016 approved $64 million to address health was updated to ensure that the officers at greatest
and safety concerns for officers, ensure the continuity risk receive the equipment and training they need to
of mission-critical operations, repurpose existing spaces perform their duties as safely as possible. By including
to better meet program requirements and upgrade benchmarks and target dates, it allows RCMP divisions
training facilities, in particular those at the RCMP Depot and detachments to develop long-term strategies and
Division located in Regina, Saskatchewan. Budget 2018 fiscal planning for training, facilities, maintenance, and
invests $60.2 million over five years, and $9.5 million equipment. The operational standard also sets out the
per year ongoing, for the RCMP to renew radio systems roles and responsibilities for officers, supervisors, unit
in four divisions: Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick commanders and divisional senior management, and
and the National Capital Region. Budget 2019 invests requires the creation of divisional supplemental policy
$508.6 million over five years to support RCMP policing to reflect local needs and risk assessments. As part of
operations, building on a Budget 2019 investment of this standard, the update will to ensure that all frontline
$68.9 million over five years, beginning in 2019–20, and officers be personally assigned unitissued hard body
$20.0 million per year ongoing, to strengthen federal armour by March 31, 2022. This distribution method
policing operational and investigative capacity. This is similar to personally assigned soft body armour and
funding also supports the recruitment and training of new will help ensure that officers at risk have the equipment
RCMP cadets to help meet demands for new frontline required to keep them safe. We support the RCMP’s
federal officers in Canada. We have also committed Modernization Strategy for Public and Police Safety
$240 million to equip RCMP officers across the country Intervention Equipment to life-cycle and modernize its
with body-worn video cameras in a bid to improve personal safety equipment. This will ensure officers of the
transparency and accountability in volatile situations. We RCMP are provided modern tools aligned to future needs
welcome the National Police Federation’s support for this while considering the diversity of officers who will employ
initiative. these tools.
2021 Federal Election Questionnaire
4Data from the equipment and training information
management systems are then used to populate the
Active Threat Training and Equipment Compliance
Dashboard on a quarterly basis. This information also
À la suite de la tuerie de Mayerthorpe en Alberta
indicates whether detachments are compliant or non-
le 3 mars 2005 - où 4 policiers ont été tués par un
compliant. Quality assurance measures and processes
tireur embusqué – l’une des conclusions de l’enquête
have been built-in to the Compliance Dashboard to
publique était que les policiers n’avaient pas l’armement
ensure the accuracy and validation of the data. The
nécessaire pour affronter ce type de menace et qu’il
previous Conservative government cut over half a billion
fallait leur donner accès à des armes à longue portée
dollars from the Force, eliminating 2000 employees.
telles que des C7 ou des C8. Nous estimons qu’il est
This included overseeing the abolishment of expert
tout à fait raisonnable que les policiers aient accès à ces
teams such as all 13 of the Integrated Proceeds of Crime
armes dans leur auto-patrouille pour faire face à des
Units tasked with investigating money laundering. The
tireurs actifs. Le Bloc Québécois s’est d’ailleurs opposé
Liberal government increased the RCMP’s funding by
au Comité fédéral de la Sécurité publique aux tentatives
$2.9 billion a year and added over 2000 new employees,
de certains partis de recommander le désarmement
and are rebuilding capacity through the standing-up of
et le définancement de la police. Avec la prolifération
such teams in B.C., Alberta, Quebec and Ontario. The
d’armes de type militaire et de nouveaux moyens de
RCMP continue to examine new ways to enhance police
communication dans le monde du crime organisé, nous
and public safety through new or improved equipment,
jugeons aussi qu’il est important que les forces policières
training and technology.
disposent de l’équipement nécessaire et moderne pour
faire face aux nouveaux défis. Nous allons continuer de
nous assurer que la GRC dispose des fonds nécessaires
pour accomplir ses tâches.
Conservatives believe in equipping our police forces
with the tools necessary to do their job. As mentioned
in your correspondence, there is a definite need for
greater training opportunities and resources. Canada’s Everyone should feel safe in the workplace. The NDP will
Recovery Plan will provide $100 million over five years make sure that RCMP Members have the tools needed to
to support training for non-provincial police forces in the carry out their work in safety. We will also ensure RCMP
areas of sexual exploitation, cyber-security and online Members have access to robust training and address
offences; and investigation of sexual offences. In a rapidly the pandemic’s impact on training. We will overhaul
changing law-enforcement environment, this investment federal police training to ensure that every officer
will better prepare police services to fight crime online, receives robust and ongoing de-escalation, implicit-
and work with victims of sexual violence. We will also bias and cross-cultural training throughout their career.
commit $25 million to a national police support and Police accountability is an important way to make our
community training program to reduce the incarceration communities safer. It’s past time to put in place robust
rates of Canada’s Indigenous communities. and independent civilian oversight of the RCMP. We’ll
launch a review of the RCMP’s budget and the RCMP
Act in order to ensure accountability of the RCMP to the
public. New Democrats will also increase investments
in non-police interventions, such as mental health and
addiction supports.
2021 Federal Election Questionnaire
502 HOW WILL YOUR PARTY ADDRESS THE NEED TO
03 MAKE ADDITIONAL, SPECIFIC INVESTMENTS TO FUND
MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS FOR RCMP MEMBERS
AND THEIR FAMILIES?
Every day, RCMP officers put their safety at risk to protect Canadians rightly expect officers to conduct themselves
our communities, putting them disproportionately at in a professional and exemplary manner as befits their
risk of post-traumatic stress injuries. The government reputation as members of a Canadian icon and one of
is committed to supporting the mental health and the finest police forces in the world. Most members do
resilience of RCMP officers so they can continue to serve just that, and we can all be proud of their work--but
Canadians. We’re investing in officers’ mental health. most is not enough. We can and we must do better.
Budget 2018 invests $21.4 million over five years for Prime Minister Trudeau mandated Minister Blair to
the RCMP to support the mental health needs of its implement a comprehensive plan to make the RCMP
officers. Budget 2021 invests $100 million over three a safe, healthy and supportive work environment for
years to support innovative mental health interventions all employees and to address toxic workplace cultures,
for first responders and Canadians disproportionately systemic discrimination and harassment. The government
impacted by COVID-19, as well as $50 million over two is strongly committed to whatever action is necessary to
years to support a trauma and PTSD stream of mental help RCMP members, trainees and employees feel safe
health programming for populations at high risk of and respected amongst their colleagues and supervisors.
experiencing COVID-19 trauma. We’re investing $20 We stand with the women and men who risk their lives to
million in a national research consortium between the keep us safe and with their families when tragedy strikes.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Canadian In recognition of their sacrifice, we established the
Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment Memorial Grant Program for First Responders to provide
(CIPSRT) to address the incidence of post-traumatic a one-time tax-free $300,000 payment to the families of
stress injuries among public safety officers. We invested police officers, firefighters and paramedics who lose their
a further $10 million for Public Safety Canada to work lives as a direct result of their duties.
with CIPSRT to develop an Internet-based Cognitive
Behavioural Therapy pilot as a means of providing
greater access to care and treatment for public safety
personnel across Canada. This will help address barriers
to obtaining access to mental health supports for public
safety personnel in rural and remote areas. We are also
investing $10 million toward a longitudinal study of
the mental health of RCMP new recruits that will help
develop appropriate mental wellness and remedial
strategies for the Force and other emergency response
organizations.
2021 Federal Election Questionnaire
6Members of the RCMP understand the severe effects of Les Policiers effectuent un travail difficile et exigeant
mental health and mental illness more than most. The mentalement. La situation n’a fait qu’empirer au fil
dangerous and psychologically damaging situations du temps avec l’arrivée des téléphones intelligents et
that officers are often placed in has severe and long- d’internet : le simple dérapage d’un collègue à l’autre
term consequences. Canada’s Conservatives have bout du Canada a des conséquences sur l’ensemble des
a robust plan to address the mental health crisis in forces policières au Canada, qui effectuent un travail
Canada. Canada’s Recovery Plan will introduce the ingrat et peu reconnu. Nous estimons qu’il faut les
Canada Mental Health Action Plan. It will propose to appuyer et reconnaître l’importance de leur travail. Le
the provinces that they partner with us by dedicating manque d’effectif dû à la pandémie viendra accroître les
a significant portion of the stable, predictable health difficultés vécues par les policiers. Il faut assurer à la GRC
funding to mental health to ensure that an additional le financement adéquat pour recruter et maintenir ses
million Canadians can receive mental health treatment effectifs, à une époque où plusieurs cherchent pourtant à
every year. We will encourage employers to add mental couper leurs fonds. Il faut également que ce financement
health coverage to their employee benefit plans by permette de couvrir les initiatives pour la santé mentale.
offering a tax credit for 25% of the cost of additional
mental health coverage for the first three years. We will
create a pilot program to provide $150 million over three
years in grants to non-profits and charities delivering
mental health and wellness programming. Finally, we
will create a nationwide three-digit suicide prevention
hotline.
All Canadians should have the mental health supports
needed to effectively manage stress and traumatic
situations. New Democrats believe that we need to work
towards health care that covers us from head to toe.
COVID-19 took a tremendous toll on Canadians’ mental
health. Mental health care should widely accessible
and available at no cost for people who need it. As a
first step, a New Democrat government would bring in
mental health care for uninsured Canadians – ensuring
that people with no coverage for mental health services
could gain access to these supports without worrying
about the cost. The long-term path to providing public
coverage for these services will require strong federal
re-investment in our health system, with the knowledge
that investing in preventative health services will
ultimately save money and give Canadians the care they
need to live healthy, full lives.
2021 Federal Election Questionnaire
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