For Immediate Release August 31, 2006

“Prime Minister announces expansion and upgrades
to RCMP Training Academy in Regina”

Ottawa (August 31, 2006) -- Ed Komarnicki, MP, (Souris-Moose Mountain).

The federal government is serious about ‘getting tough on crime’ and the Prime Minister during his visit to Regina committed $200 Million dollars to assist the RCMP in their efforts to train and hire more police, law enforcement personnel and staff.

“I see this as another fulfillment of a Conservative government election promise” Komarnicki stated. “I view the hiring of 1,000 new full-time RCMP personnel as a step in the right direction and an important and necessary investment in our ongoing fight against crime” said Komarnicki. “It is important that the RCMP have both the tools and training necessary to remain as one of the world’s most professional and effective police services and the allocation of $37 Million to expand and upgrade the RCMP Training Academy in Regina is an equally important component of today’s announcement.”

Komarnicki said that, “our Conservative Government has taken a number of important steps to address crime and lawlessness since being elected including:

- banning house arrest for violent criminals;

- bringing back mandatory minimum sentences for gun crimes and authorizing the courts to hand out serious time for serious crime;

- cracking down on street racing;

- raising the age of protection from 14 to 16 to better protect young people from sexual predators;

- making a new investment of $200 million for infrastructure and the hiring and training of 1,000 new full-time RCMP and law enforcement personnel; and

- investing $1.4 billion to strengthen our national security and further protect against the threat of terrorism