Ottawa, ON — Following is a statement from Brian Sauvé, President of the National Police Federation, regarding the Government of Canada’s 2022 Federal Budget:
“Today, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland tabled Budget 2022, the first since the 2021 federal election, and one which seeks to address Canadians’ priorities in key areas like housing, climate change, and economic growth.
The National Police Federation (NPF) welcomes investments in these key areas because they address concerns that Canadians, including our Members, are directly experiencing. While we note some important and necessary investments in national defence, we take this opportunity to remind the federal government of the continued and growing need to make priority investments in public safety within Canada as well.
Our Members continue to face human and financial resourcing challenges, and have been dealing with an accelerated increase in policing demands and related resourcing challenges due to COVID-19. These challenges, including declined recruitment numbers, are adding to an increased workload, impacting staffing levels, and affecting the well-being of our Members.
In fact, to highlight a 17% year-over-year decline in recruitment between 2020-21 and 2021-22, the NPF appeared earlier this week before a parliamentary committee to discuss our concerns and present recommendations to address this issue[1].
While today’s budget fell short of including important investments in public safety, we will continue to advocate for necessary funding and resourcing for our Members, and we remain optimistic that the federal government will address these challenges on a priority basis.”
About the National Police Federation:
The National Police Federation (NPF) was certified to represent ~20,000 RCMP Members serving across Canada and internationally in the summer of 2019. The NPF is the largest police labour relations organization in Canada; the second largest in North America and is the first independent national association to represent RCMP Members.
The NPF is focused on improving public safety in Canada by increasing resources, equipment, training, and other supports for our Members who have been under-funded for far too long. Better resourcing and supports for the RCMP will enhance community safety and livability in the communities we serve, large and small, across Canada.
For more information: https://npf-fpn.com/
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Media contact:
Fabrice de Dongo
Manager, Media Relations
[email protected]
(647) 274-7118
[1] Submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development, and the Status of Persons with Disabilities: https://npf-fpn.com/app/uploads/securepdfs/2022/04/NPF-Submission-on-Labour-Shortages-Working-Conditions-and-the-Care-Economy-FINAL.pdf