BC and Ottawa agree on new RCMP contract
Posted Nov 30, 2011 03:17:18 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VICTORIA (NEWS1130) – The provincial government has struck a tentative contract with the RCMP, keeping the force in BC for at least another 20-years. Today was Ottawa’s deadline for reaching a new deal.
The deal is just a framework and negotiations continue. Few details have been released today, but BC’s Attorney General says the contract contains significant changes. It includes the creation of a Contract Management Committee, which will review cost increases during the life of the contract.
“Certainly that was one of our key concerns, was having a role in ensuring we could have discussions before costs were simply assigned to municipalities across the province” said Shirley Bond.
“I’m confident we’ve gained some very new and quite strong tools that will help municipalities, and help us (the provincial government) make sure that in the future costs won’t simply be transferred to municipalities without a pretty good explanation and a pretty good review by the different levels of government.”
Bond says BC will have one member sitting on the Contract Management Committee.
“And in addition to that I intend to ensure that we have a Municipal Contract Management Committee operating in British Columbia as well.”
The contract includes a two-year opt-out clause, and is subject to an automatic review after five years.
Bond plans on releasing more details of the contract “when the time is appropriate.” She is hoping to explain the deal to the Union of BC Municipalities before sharing more details with the public.
