Thank you.
First, I recognize the integral role the RCMP has had in the safety of Canadians, and the high level of safety and security which is felt throughout the country. We thank you for that, especially in my riding of Surrey Centre.
As you know, Surrey has the largest RCMP detachment in Canada. It is also home to the B.C. headquarters, E Division. Thank you for your work. Whatever we can do to guarantee the health and safety of our officers is paramount. However, this also gives us concern, because we have a lot of police officers in Surrey Centre, and Surrey in general, who work and serve there. The Auditor General's report was quite concerning to us, as 13% were found to not be trained adequately to use carbines and to not have body armour.
Recommendation 5.24 states that the RCMP “should establish a national standard to ensure that each detachment is adequately equipped with carbines”. Given the nature of contract policing, can you explain exactly how the decisions are made and what equipment should be issued in different detachments that might have different needs?