Madam Chair, it is an honour for me to speak on the subject of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
On March 3 Canadians were bitterly reminded of the dangers and sacrifices that face our brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, and our friends who decide to make the move to join the RCMP. Four young constables were murdered by James Roszko. Of the four RCMP members, Constable Leo Johnston was from my riding of Fort McMurray—Athabasca.
Constable Johnston was born and raised in Lac La Biche, Alberta and served the community with courage, pride and honour, and a determination to make a difference. Constable Johnston had a twin brother who is also a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. His brother, Constable Lee Johnston, described Leo as:
Leo also knew what it was to be a fighter and what it took to be a warrior...He did not give up...He fought--refusing to believe in any outcome but victory.
And because of his determination and courage, he made a difference.
And he did make a difference.
In my riding of Fort McMurray—Athabasca, there are eight RCMP detachments, including Fort McMurray, Athabasca, Boyle, Faust, Fort Chipewyan, High Prairie, Lac La Biche and Red Earth Creek. In these eight detachments, there are a total of 157 RCMP officers who patrol the riding and serve our country.
The riding of Fort McMurray—Athabasca is indeed very difficult to patrol. It is 167,000 square kilometres. That means one officer has to patrol over 1,000 kilometres. RCMP officers must patrol one of the most dangerous highways in Canada, highway 63, which has the highest death rate in Canada per kilometre.
In addition, many officers currently must commute to and from Fort McMurray to do their job because it is just simply too expensive to live in the community. Housing costs are astronomical. It costs $330,000 for a trailer. For young RCMP officers, the starting salary barely allows them to live in the community.
In Fort McMurray and Lac La Biche, RCMP members are severely overworked and severely underpaid. Northern Alberta is an expensive place to live.
Canadians may find this hard to believe but in Fort McMurray a truck driver working for one of the oil sands plants makes over double what an RCMP member makes. This is simply illogical and is not right.
The value of work that these brave men and women do for us is simply immeasurable. Their contribution is enormous. Their service to the community is invaluable. These men and women should be fairly treated and rewarded adequately for their service.
I was a litigator for over 10 years in Fort McMurray and I worked with RCMP officers daily. I have personal friends who are members. I understand the incredible sacrifices and the tremendous workloads that they have.
According to a 2000 statistical report, in Fort McMurray the police force handles, per officer, 118 Criminal Code incidents. That is three times the national average for a police officer and over two times the Alberta average. The average RCMP officer in Fort McMurray has three years experience. We need more police officers and we need adequate compensation for them. The Liberal government takes the position that we are still in the 19th century.
Journalist Peter Worthington reveals the Liberal strategy of law enforcement in an anecdote he wrote in the Winnipeg Sun :
An RCMP anecdote I grew up with as a kid on the Prairies, was the story of Chief Sitting Bull and his Sioux Indians, who sought refuge in Canada after annihilating George Custer and his 7th Cavalry at the Little Bighorn in 1876.
When the time came for the Sioux to go back to Dakota, the U.S. cavalry was waiting at the border to escort Sitting Bull back to a reservation.
A lone Mountie was at the head of the long line of Indians, and the nervous cavalry officer (the fate of the 7th Cavalry ingrained on his memory) asked the Mountie: “And where is the rest of your troop?”
The Mountie shrugged: “Oh, he's back at camp, cooking breakfast”.
I look forward to the time when a Conservative government can implement policies that can provide better resources for the RCMP. For example, a Conservative government will institute mandatory minimum sentences for violent and repeat offenders. A Conservative government will require the registration of all sexual offenders and dangerous offenders. A Conservative government will repeal the expensive and ineffective gun registry, and will protect the public by prosecuting and punishing the criminals.
It is time for a change, not only in this government but a change in how we as Canadians serve and protect the people in the RCMP who serve and protect us.