Christy Clark’s government is hiding the report on the BC RCMP by claiming it would “compromise” BC’s bargaining position with the force, whose contract is due to expire next year.

Bluntly put, the public has a right to know what that report says.  The decision on whether or not to keep the RCMP as our provincial police force is not one to be taken lightly, nor is it one to be made by faceless bureaucrats behind sealed doors.

This must be a decision made in the best interests of the citizens of British Columbia, and before we can tell our employees (our provincial M.L.A.’s) what we want them to do, we must have all the facts before us.

Otherwise we are left judging BC’s RCMP members by the news stories we read day in and day out of corruption, police brutality and RCMP members lying to the courts and each other.

Then again, if the reason that Christy Clark’s government is refusing to release the report before a new deal is signed is because of that corruption, brutality and lying, then why on earth would she be negotiating to renew the contract in the first place?

Before you start bashing me for hating the RCMP, let me once again clarify my position.

There are many great RCMP members currently serving in British Columbia.  We would be crazy NOT to want them to stay on if the report the BC Provincial Government is hiding says that BC’s RCMP contingent is made up primarily of those great RCMP members.

However, as anyone reading this blog alone knows all too well, there are a TON of bad cops here in BC too.   The list is fairly endless, and if that’s what the report Christy Clark’s government is hiding from the public, then she’d better be praying we “mere citizens” don’t find out about it before the next provincial election.

The following list is just a sampling of the BC RCMP members who come easily to mind as being the kind we want absolutely nothing to do with here in BC, or anywhere in Canada, for that matter:

• Constable Geoff Mantler
• Corporal Monty Robinson
• Constable Bill Bentley
• Constable Gerry Rundel
• Constable Kwesi Millington
• Constable Shyamal Ramlu
• Constable Matt Wright
• Constable Nick Sharma
• Constable Allan Douglas Roberts

There is no valid reason to hide the report on the BC RCMP from the public.

I urge you to phone your BC MLA today and demand that the Audit of the BC RCMP be released to the public immediately.  We deserve to know what that report says, and to know it BEFORE the BC Government renews its contract with the RCMP.

To find contact information for your MLA, visit http://www.leg.bc.ca/mla/3-1-7.htm

“We knew of the existence of this audit back last fall, and so to be told in August of 2011 that in fact the audit is merely draft and no one has received it, seems curious to say the least, especially because we know that the negotiations are currently underway,” said BCCLA Policy Director Michael Vonn.

“How is it that B.C.’s Cabinet and Treasury Board have not yet received a copy of it, given that they’re on the verge of signing a single-source, multi-billion-dollar, 20-year contract with the RCMP?” said Vonn.

Governments traditionally are not in the habit of hiding information that makes them or their decisions look good.  That’s what stinks about their refusal to release this report until its too late.  Our politicians seem intent on locking us into a long-term contract with the RCMP when it may not be in the province’s best interest to do so.

I believe that BC Civil Liberties Association Executive Director David Eby is correct when he suggested recently that the only reason the report has NOT been released to Cabinet or to the Treasury Board was so the government could refuse to release it under BC’s Access to Information law.

If he’s correct, then Christy Clark’s government is already on the fast track to being one of the most corrupt in BC’s political history.  Now that’s not a title she should be aspiring to.

Call BC Premier Christy Clark and demand the RCMP Audit be released to the public.

Call your own MLA and make the same demand of them.  Let them know you have no interest in renewing the RCMP’s policing contract until this report is made public.

For those in government, this is called Openness and Transparency… you know… those two things you keep promising us but never seem to have the balls to deliver.

Now is the time to start practicing transparency in government.  Otherwise… next election will prove an interesting one.  Anyone who has studied BC politics knows that historically we don’t vote FOR someone… we vote to kick out the corrupt politicians who have pissed us off a few too many times.

Christy Clark, now is the time to show British Columbians what kind of premier, what kind of politician you truly are.  You keep telling us what a wonderful person you are and how you have the interests of British Columbians at heart.

To quote Christie Clark directly:

Open Government and a Smaller Cabinet

One of my top priorities is to restore the connection between government and the people. The steps we are taking include:

a smaller cabinet that cuts costs and shows respect for the hard-earned tax dollars citizens provide to government;

regular town meetings across BC so that I, as your Premier, can hear from citizens and let you know what we are up to;

working out a plan for our entire team to use technology to engage British Columbians in decision-making.

That last one is pretty interesting in light of the continued refusals to release the RCMP Audit, don’t you think?

If Christy Clark was even remotely sincere in wanting to “engage British Columbians in decision-making“, then she’d order the RCMP Audit be released so the public could actually participate in the decision-making process of whether or not to renew the RCMP’s policing contract.

Sadly, I will not be holding my breath.  So far I’ve seen nothing from Ms. Clark to show me she is anything but more of the same in BC Politics.

That being said, I would be absolutely thrilled if she were to prove me wrong.

To quote directly from the front page of Christy’s website:

I want to fill you in on some of the changes we are making so that BC can grow and prosper in the future. We’re off to a fast start and, I think, a good start. In order to make the most progress, I am inviting you to send me your thoughts and ideas at Christy@christyclark.ca.

I guess we’ll see if you’re up to fulfilling that promise in the days, weeks and months ahead, won’t we?  Right up until the next BC provincial election…