Friday, February 12, 2010

Kent Hehr Challenges the Government to Live Up to Promises

In 2004 this government announced it would be building the Alberta police college in Fort Macleod. At that time the government indicated that it was necessary to build this complex in order to ensure that a well-trained police force was present in Alberta. To date the project has not been built. I assume there must be a reason for this.

Kent Hehr, Official Opposition Critic for Justice

See the following excerpt from Hansard.

Peace and Police Officer Training Centre

Mr. Hehr:
My question is to the Solicitor General. Does the government still believe that the building of an Alberta police college is necessary to improve the delivery of law enforcement services in this province, or can we get by with the status quo?

Mr. Oberle:
Thank you for the question. As the member correctly points out, we have not built the college in Fort Macleod. We’re reviewing the financial situation at the moment. As members opposite have pointed out, we are in fiscal difficulties right now. I’m reviewing the situation and will report back to this House when I’m ready.

Mr. Hehr:
Well, it sounds like we still sort of need a site; we’re just not sure when. That’s, I guess, fair. Is Fort Macleod, then, still the preferred site for this training centre?

Mr. Oberle:
Well, the member just made a bunch of assumptions that I never gave him in the first question, so I can’t really address it. I didn’t say that we absolutely needed it, nor did I say that we’re looking at Fort Macleod or any other centre. I said that I would report back to this House when I’m ready to do so.

Mr. Hehr:
Well, let me back up the bus. In 2004 I thought we were clear: you guys announced you were building a training centre. Is that on or off the table? Can you confirm to this community whether you are going to be building it and quit jerking around, then?

Mr. Oberle:
Might I refer the hon. member to answer 1(a).

Alberta Hansard, February 9, 2010

Could this be the beginning of the false promises, talk tough on crime and then do not deliver the services needed. Photo Ops with the Premier announcing more cops, but not providing the training centre needed to prepare them.

2 comments:

  1. Beginning? It’s the never-ending story.

    The good folks from Fort Macleod ought to feel betrayed, after the millions of dollars they put into infrastructure to support the academy, once it was built. They have elected a P.C. MLA for the past thirty years and it will be an interesting constituency to watch in the next election.

    As a Calgarian, I feel betrayed by the government downloading maintenance of the Deerfoot to the City. Guess whose property tax will pay for that? Do Edmontonians maintain the Yellowhead running through their City? And what about the Calgary Airport Tunnel?

    After this budget sinking us further into the red, without benefit, the optics of our Premier and his party schmoozing at the Olympics is beyond the pale. And then we have Federal Parliament stalled with our P.M. dining on perogies in Vancouver.

    I dig the guys in the office by asking them “how much more of this fiscal conservatism can a tax payer stand?” Of course there’s a smirk on my face.

    But I digress…

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  2. I feel the pain, and no effective opposition to deal with all levels of Government.

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