Any future referendum on the future of the RCMP should be held only in Alberta communities not being served by municipal police forces, says Independent Alberta MLA Todd Loewen..The Alberta Fair Deal panel recommended the RCMP be booted from the province in its final report. They would be replaced by an Alberta provincial police force..Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has been talking about the issue this week, adding the decision will likely come in a referendum – just not the one being held October 18 this year..“This week, the premier has evidently rediscovered his interest in pursuing the creation of a provincial police force. While this has been recommended by Alberta’s Fair Deal panel and been extensively studied by the government, the premier has taken no concrete steps to date,” said Loewen, MLA for Central Peace-Notley..“Two years ago the premier promised a referendum on this issue prior to making any changes. He had an opportunity to hold such a referendum this October, but chose to leave the issue off the ballot..“Policing and crime are primarily local issues. Such issues are best addressed with local solutions. Today, most of Alberta’s major urban centres are protected and served by municipal police forces rather than the RCMP. Basic fairness demands that residents of rural areas and smaller urban centres deserve this same opportunity. For this reason, today I am calling on the premier to give these Albertans the final say,” said Loewen..“This is why I am calling on the premier to limit any referendum regarding the creation of a provincial police force to those Albertans who live in municipalities that are currently served by the RCMP. Residents of rural areas and smaller communities are fully capable of determining our own policing priorities. We don’t want or need these priorities imposed upon us by others.”.Loewen, a former UCP MLA, was booted from the caucus in may after publishing a letter calling for Kenney to resign..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.,dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/nobby7694
Any future referendum on the future of the RCMP should be held only in Alberta communities not being served by municipal police forces, says Independent Alberta MLA Todd Loewen..The Alberta Fair Deal panel recommended the RCMP be booted from the province in its final report. They would be replaced by an Alberta provincial police force..Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has been talking about the issue this week, adding the decision will likely come in a referendum – just not the one being held October 18 this year..“This week, the premier has evidently rediscovered his interest in pursuing the creation of a provincial police force. While this has been recommended by Alberta’s Fair Deal panel and been extensively studied by the government, the premier has taken no concrete steps to date,” said Loewen, MLA for Central Peace-Notley..“Two years ago the premier promised a referendum on this issue prior to making any changes. He had an opportunity to hold such a referendum this October, but chose to leave the issue off the ballot..“Policing and crime are primarily local issues. Such issues are best addressed with local solutions. Today, most of Alberta’s major urban centres are protected and served by municipal police forces rather than the RCMP. Basic fairness demands that residents of rural areas and smaller urban centres deserve this same opportunity. For this reason, today I am calling on the premier to give these Albertans the final say,” said Loewen..“This is why I am calling on the premier to limit any referendum regarding the creation of a provincial police force to those Albertans who live in municipalities that are currently served by the RCMP. Residents of rural areas and smaller communities are fully capable of determining our own policing priorities. We don’t want or need these priorities imposed upon us by others.”.Loewen, a former UCP MLA, was booted from the caucus in may after publishing a letter calling for Kenney to resign..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.,dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/nobby7694
