Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth害羞草研究所檚 order to press on with the Surrey Police Service is akin to replacing the 害羞草研究所渨inner with the runner-up害羞草研究所� by overriding Surrey council害羞草研究所檚 desire under Mayor Brenda Locke to keep the RCMP and enforcing the previous council害羞草研究所檚 desire, under former mayor Doug McCallum, to install the SPS as the city害羞草研究所檚 police of jurisdiction.
That害羞草研究所檚 what Justice Kevin Loo heard Wednesday from lawyer Craig Dennis, representing the City of Surrey in its petition for a judicial review aimed at quashing Farnworth害羞草研究所檚 July 19, 2023 order to replace the RCMP with the SPS.
The provincial government, Dennis argued, 害羞草研究所渉as nullified the mandate to keep the RCMP delivered to council by voters.害羞草研究所�
The five-day hearing began April 29 in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver.
害羞草研究所淚n purpose and effect, it controls the electorate害羞草研究所檚 attempt to convey meaning by significantly interfering with the vote, specifically by nullifying the electoral mandate that city council keep the RCMP in Surrey, and in the process it undermined the confidence Surrey residents can reasonably repose in their future elections. Where Canadians perceive elections to be unfair, voter apathy follows shortly thereafter,害羞草研究所� Dennis argued.
害羞草研究所淭he Province characterized council害羞草研究所檚 resolutions as moves to revert to the RCMP. This ignores a fundamental point 害羞草研究所� the SPS has never become Surrey害羞草研究所檚 police of jurisdiction. Surrey has only ever sought to keep the RCMP as its police of jurisdiction.
害羞草研究所淭he status quo then is the RCMP. Surrey害羞草研究所檚 not meaning to revert to anything,害羞草研究所� Dennis noted. 害羞草研究所淪urrey voters delivered a mandate in the 2022 municipal election for keeping the RCMP as Surrey害羞草研究所檚 police of jurisdiction. Access to the voting platform has already occurred. Far from seeking access to a platform, Surrey seeks to implement that mandate free from provincial interference.害羞草研究所�
Surrey never displaced the RCMP as police of jurisdiction, he pointed out. 害羞草研究所淎s public opinion soured to the transition the 2021 citizens害羞草研究所� initiative first proposed a referendum being held. The 2022 election was then fought not on whether Surrey should revert to to the RCMP but whether it should keep the RCMP as its police of jurisdiction.害羞草研究所�
This, he said, was the 害羞草研究所渞aison d害羞草研究所櫭猼re害羞草研究所� of Locke害羞草研究所檚 Surrey Connect slate and was the central issue in the city害羞草研究所檚 2022 civic election, in which she defeated McCallum. 害羞草研究所淭his only confirmed what should have been clear to all observers, that the election was centrally about the fate of Surrey policing and Surrey voters had spoken in favour of keeping the RCMP.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淪urrey voters delivered a mandate to keep the RCMP which is inextricable from the vote itself and the integrity of that electoral result, not the policy outcome, is what Surrey seeks to protect from provincial interference,害羞草研究所� Dennis told Loo.
害羞草研究所淭his is no small matter for municipal democracy,害羞草研究所� he said, noting that election results that fail to deliver results are bound to damage public confidence.
害羞草研究所淲hy vote if policies are not implemented? Why run for office, why participate?害羞草研究所�
