Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to put this in some context in relation to our fiscal situation. It's always difficult to try to appropriate sufficient funds to support all of our government's initiatives and certainly that doesn't prevent us from having to deal with the RCMP staffing issue. We have been working from an official level with the chief superintendent's office to try to find appropriate solutions over the last several years. I must admit it must be hard going to try to work within the original policing agreement. As Minister, I also had the privilege last spring of meeting with the chief superintendent on a similar issue. As well, I have been in communication with our lead officials and keeping up to date. Recognizing that they say that there is a manpower shortage, which has been acknowledged, we were also awaiting the final results of their audit. So we are now in the process of seeing what those preliminary results are and furthering some discussion on it. Again, I reference the fact that we are in a government-wide deficit and I am not sure how much we can even contemplate providing further support at this point. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Roger Allen on Standing Committee On Social Programs Committee Comments
In the Legislative Assembly on February 28th, 2003. See this statement in context.
Standing Committee On Social Programs Committee Comments
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
February 27th, 2003
Page 432
See context to find out what was said next.