Plans and Priorities for 2005/2006

Minister’s Message

Public safety and security continue as key priorities for the Government of Canada and the Department and Portfolio of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada (PSEPC). In the years ahead, a coordinated, horizontal approach will be critical to our efforts, one that offers cohesive focus for the Department, as well as portfolio agencies, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

I am confident that our collective work to date has made Canada a safer place in which to live. As Canada’s national police force, the plans and priorities of the RCMP are critical to ensuring the high quality of life and safe nation we continue to enjoy.

We have invested in crime prevention, policing and law enforcement, and corrections activities. In partnership with governments and the private sector, we have also undertaken strategies to provide assistance to vulnerable communities and segments of our society at risk. Two of the RCMP’s strategic priorities, in fact, speak to this commitment. Safer and healthier Aboriginal communities and preventing youth involvement in crime remain primary concerns for the Force’s plans and priorities.

Taken together, the RCMP’s terrorism, organized crime and international policing priorities will greatly support our efforts to ensure the safety and security of our country. As Canada’s international role evolves, the RCMP will continue to play a formidable role in peace- and nation-building.

We have agreed to joint action plans with the United States in key areas, such as border security and crime prevention, and are committed to furthering our cooperation with our closest neighbour to protect our citizens, our trade, and the long-standing relationship we share. This includes a number of integrated enforcement teams that have been established by the RCMP. Our Integrated Border Enforcement Teams (IBETs) have met with certain success – not only heightening our resolve in ensuring the integrity of our borders, but in enhancing our collective security.

Public safety and emergency preparedness are priorities for the RCMP and the Government. My department has an ambitious agenda, one that Canadians expect us to pursue with their best interests in mind. Building on our initial successes and our consolidated approach to public safety and security, I am confident we will be better able to safeguard the rights, freedoms and security of all Canadians.

The Honourable A. Anne McLellan, PC, MP
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness