Oh, no. He means it. This so-called task force is made up of twenty RCMP officers, four assigned to Montreal, four to Vancouver and only twelve to metro Toronto where there are 24,000 outstanding deportation orders. Immigration officers are so overwhelmed by the sheer numbers that they are unable to execute a removal order unless the individual voluntarily turns up. What a mockery of our system.
When the task force was struck the words of the sergeant in charge were pitiful. He said right away to the press that he was not going to go knocking on doors and arresting people. What was he supposed to be doing then? This is symbolic of the government's attitude toward 24,000 illegal acts gone unchecked, 24,000 people flouting Canadian law and laughing behind the backs of a lax justice and immigration system.
Listen to what the Canadian Police Association said just before Christmas during the committee hearings on the bill. I quote:
How anyone in this world when you have a police service of 16,000 members-that's the RCMP-could call 20 persons spread in the three major cities across Canada a task force is really inconceivable to me. That phrase is seriously abused-I'm not trying to be facetious, but (C-44) reminds me somewhat of putting a band aid on the Hindenburg.