Media Statement: NPF Responds to Federal Budget 2023-2024

OTTAWA, ON, March 28, 2023 /CNW/ - Following is a statement from Brian Sauvé, President of the National Police Federation, in response to the Federal Government's 2023-2024 Budget, tabled today:

"This afternoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland tabled Budget 2023, "A made-in-Canada plan," which focuses on advancing reconciliation, healthcare, and issues of affordability through investments aimed to soften the impacts of inflation and higher interest rates on Canadians.

The National Police Federation (NPF) is pleased to see $156.7 million over five years, and $14.4 million ongoing to support RCMP Members access to Veterans Affairs Canada programs and services and reduce backlogs. This is something the NPF has been advocating for since 2021.

We welcome the other important public safety investments in the 2023 Federal Budget, including $42 million over five years to the RCMP to combat opioids and drug trafficking and the $16.7 million in research funding for the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment to advance knowledge on how best to address officer injuries. This matters to our Members, who are frequently exposed to dangerous and traumatic events and have increased risk of post-traumatic stress injuries.

However, we are disappointed to see the lack of investments to ensure our Members have adequate resourcing, including human resources, especially as communities' public safety needs continue to evolve.  

Our Members continue to provide exceptional policing in the face of increased workloads, reduced staffing levels, and other impacts on their well-being. Canada's policing community has been rocked by a series of on-duty deaths that serve as a grim reminder of the life-threatening risks that our Members and all police officers take when they respond to a call for help."

About the National Police Federation:

The National Police Federation (NPF) represents ~20,000 RCMP Members serving across Canada and internationally. It is the largest police labour relations organization in Canada and second largest in North America. We are focused on improving public safety in Canada for our Members and all Canadians by advocating for investment in policing and other related supports and services. This includes calling for required resourcing, equipment, and supports to 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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SOURCE National Police Federation