LIBERAL candidate for Surrey-Newton Sukh Dhaliwal on Tuesday responded to Conservative Leader Stephen Harper’s promise to increase funding for the RCMP by highlighting the prime minister’s track record of broken promises and lack of action.
“Stephen Harper cannot be trusted to keep Canadians safe,” said Dhaliwal. “After months of promising more officers on the ground for the RCMP detachment in Surrey, we have heard from the RCMP that they still do not have the resources that were promised.”
In May, after months of intense pressure from the Surrey community, the Conservative Government committed to providing 100 additional RCMP officers for the Surrey detachment. Yet, as of the beginning of August only four officers were actually on the streets of Surrey.
“It is not just Surrey that has seen the effects of the Stephen Harper’s lack of funding for the RCMP,” said Dhaliwal. “Since 2007 the Conservative Government has forced the RCMP to return$1.7 billion in funding. This is money that was supposed to be spent keeping Canadians safe. Today’s announcement is just another promise which Stephen Harper will not deliver.”