(... unfortunately, it also includes Kanuckistan's new Liberal-appointed former CBC hack Governor General)
Posted on 10/26/2005 7:56:57 AM PDT by GMMAC
Clean up border before 'hectoring' U.S.
MacKay: Customs report spurs criticism
Allan Woods
CanWest News Service
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
OTTAWA - The Canada Border Services Agency has increased front-line forces by just 10.9% since 1995, compared with a 100% boost in the number of employees at Customs headquarters, newly obtained documents show.
The figures, obtained by the federal Customs Excise Union under the Access to Information Act and provided to CanWest News Service, have prompted criticisms that Prime Minister Paul Martin is blaming the United States for the proliferation of illegal handguns being smuggled across the border when a large part of the problem lies in his own domain.
"It rings hollow for the Prime Minister to be hectoring the U.S. on guns being smuggled into Canada," deputy Conservative leader Peter MacKay said in an interview yesterday. "To that I say we better clean up our own backyard and we better demonstrate to them that we take our security seriously before we start asking them to do something about it."
Mr. Martin said the United States has an "obligation" to do more to curb the flow of U.S.-made handguns into the country, an issue he raised in a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday night at 24 Sussex Dr.
He was speaking after several days of gun violence in Toronto, where 44 of 64 homicides this year have been caused by firearms. All but one of them involved an illegal handgun.
Ms. Rice refused to comment on Mr. Martin's contention that half of all gun crimes committed in Canada involve U.S.-bought firearms, but said her government is committed to strengthening both sides of the border. "Obviously we want to help resolve issues concerning gun violence," she said. "We have been very involved with Canadian law enforcement trying to do exactly that."
But the staffing figures, which indicate Ottawa has increased border bureaucracy and intelligence gathering, but not its on-the-ground border guards, show it is Canada that must be more vigilant on the border, critics charged.
Between 1995-96 and 2004-05, the border agency increased staffing at international crossings across the country by 717 "full-time equivalents" -- from 6,603 to 7,320 -- a 10.9% boost.
The highest increase was recorded in the Pacific region, where front-line guards jumped 18.2%. The Prairies saw no increase at all in the number of border guards protecting its crossings. The country's busiest border crossings, in Southern Ontario, saw a 12% increase -- from 2,420 to 2,711 FTE's -- between 1995 and 2005.
In contrast, the number of positions at the agency's headquarters, which include intelligence teams but no front-line officers, jumped more than 100% from 540 full-time equivalents in 1995-96 to 1,083 in 2002-03, the last year for which numbers were provided.
"Nothing in my mind justifies the decision to double headquarters and basically give table scraps to the regional offices. It defies logic. It's asinine in its priority," Mr. MacKay said. "In an ideal world, you need to have more of both, but if I was to be given the choice, I'd say put more people on the ground and arm them."
Officials in Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan's office were unable to account for the rapid increase in staffing at headquarters, but said the department has changed significantly over the years, especially since December, 2003, when the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency was replaced by the CBSA, incorporating the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Citizenship and Immigration enforcement and intelligence teams, Revenue Canada officials and other border-related responsibilities.
"There have been many changes in the way we manage our border service since Sept. 11," CBSA spokeswoman Amelie Morin said.
However, the creation of Integrated Border Enforcement Teams (IBETS) in the wake of 9/11, are led in large part by the RCMP, a spokesman for Ms. McLellan said.
Ron Moran, head of the union representing Canada's border guards, suggested the bulk of the increases noted at headquarters are intelligence staff, which he said is important. But he accused the government of augmenting its intelligence operations at the expense of sentries on guard at Canadian crossings.
"It's difficult to say they're wasting money," Mr. Moran said. "But it certainly raises a lot of concerns in terms of priority when you see that type of contrast in investment and you look at how the operations are aching in the field."
Mr. Moran is calling for an armed border patrol to watch over the often desolate points in between border crossings. "It's a paradise for smuggling in that there is nothing on the Canadian side," he said.
Public Safety officials noted the government has committed funding for an extra 270 border guards over the next five years. In addition, the border agency has committed 11 officers across the country to gun-smuggling investigations, including two dedicated officers working in Toronto.
© National Post 2005
Both sides? We can't even handle our own side and now we're being asked to pay for Canada's side as well?
I should think they could have hired quite a few border guards with the billion dollars they spent on their gun registration scheme. Or maybe even returned it to the citizens to spend as they chose.
Liberal bureaucratic madness. Nothing new.
That would be like combining the Border Patrol in the US with the FDA. Makes no sense at all which means it was a political move likely made to appease Liberal supporters or to offer a better patronage appointment. Canadian government and politics suck at doing anything remotely effective.
"He was speaking after several days of gun violence in Toronto, where 44 of 64 homicides this year have been caused by firearms. All but one of them involved an illegal handgun"
With the ban on guns in Canada, isn't it likely that most gun killings will be with an illegal gun, whether it was smuggled over the border or someone was hoarding it from before the ban?
Whine, whine, whine. I'm sick of Canada and their whine! Now that Bush has jumped into bed with Canada, we're going to hear a LOT more of it. It's ALWAYS our fault.
Yes, you're right. I'm only talking about the Liberals, but then, the Liberals are the Socialists and the enemies of Freedom.
LOL, they actually modeled it after our own Department of Homeland Security which incorporated Agriculture, Customs, INS and the Border Patrol into “Customs and Border Protection”.
Mr. Moran is calling for an armed border patrol to watch over the often desolate points in between border crossings. "It's a paradise for smuggling in that there is nothing on the Canadian side," he said.
Now this is a very good idea, but it should be staffed by members of the RCMP not Canada Customs and Immigration Inspectors.
If there was a "ban" on guns in Canada, your question might make sense. However, the fact is that long guns are still freely available and hand guns can be obtained legally for those who are appropriately licensed. Only semi-auto weapons with magazines holding more then (10? 5?, can't recall now) shells and full-auto weapons are banned outright.
"Whine, whine, whine. I'm sick of Canada and their whine!"
It goes well with all the Liberal cheeseheads up here.
Good question : )
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.