Thank you. I appreciate that opportunity.
Again, I'm very much wanting to understand what essential services means in the definition from Public Safety Canada and the federal government, because that hasn't been clearly defined in any of the meetings I have attended.
I think what's key and critical is to ensure that again we're not under a grants and contributions program under which funding cannot be sustained or secured. We need to recognize and realize that we are not asking for anything more in our funding, but we certainly don't want anything less. Our communities deserve it, and we want to ensure that our service officers and staff are treated in the same manner that other police services often take for granted.
The term “essential service”, I know, is something that needs to be spoken to and addressed, but I hope it relates to sustainable long-term funding that can be secured and assured to our communities, and that there is the recognition that policing isn't just a responsive model. It needs to address the root causes of crime through crime prevention and preventative programming, as well as providing us opportunities to grow our police service and have those specialized units that can address the problems within our communities for which we have support only through outside agencies: the RCMP in provincial policing jurisdictions, the OPP and the Quebec police service.
Those are just some of my comments, and thank you for that.