INNISFAIL – Devin Dreeshen has expressed doubts the public has been given a clear picture from the Alberta government on why a provincial police force would be a better law enforcement fit than the RCMP.
In an interview with the Albertan, the Innisfail-Sylvan Lake MLA and newly-minted minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors, said he has talked to all elected officials in the riding and they were “unanimous” in saying the RCMP is an “adequate” police force and see many benefits of community-style policing already worked into the RCMP agreements.
“If we were to go down the route of Quebec or Ontario, where they have their own provincial police force, I think we have to do a better job of explaining what the benefits would be to Albertans to have a provincial police force because right now when I'm talking to elected officials in my area, they see that the benefits of having local decision-making on community policing are already within the RCMP system,” said Dreeshen. “So, I think there needs to be a better job of explaining what the benefits of a provincial police force would be."
“When it comes to boots on the ground and daily enforcement obviously there's room for improvement,” he added, agreeing the RCMP in smaller communities, like Innisfail, excel at community engagement. “I've heard just a very overwhelming support for the RCMP within Central Alberta.”
Dreeshen is currently enjoying a political rehabilitation within the governing UCP. He resigned from his Agriculture and Forestry ministerial cabinet post on Nov. 5, 2021 following media reports of alleged workplace misconduct.
Last Oct. 24, under new Premier Danielle Smith he was appointed back into cabinet as the new minister for Transportation and Economic Corridors.
With a new provincial budget expected to be released in late February, Dreeshen is currently busy in Treasury Board meetings.
He’s hopeful there will be some “significant” transportation infrastructure projects built along the Highway 2 corridor and across the province. Dreeshen noted the next widening of the highway in the region will be occurring north of the City of Red Deer in the Blackfalds area going north.
In the meantime, he’s fully supportive of the new premier, including Smith’s highly publicized and controversial Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act; legislation designed to combat what the UCP deems as federal "intrusions" into provincial jurisdiction but widely assailed by many critics as unconstitutional and potentially creating economic uncertainty.
“What I've heard from constituents on the Sovereignty Act is, ‘It’s about time',” he said. “When we have a federal government constantly driving on our side of the road it's good to be able to have it so that we can have a special motion in the legislature and use it to say, ‘this piece of legislation or policy or unfunded mandate from the federal government is encroaching on provincial jurisdiction, and enough is enough’, and we're going to stand up against it and fight back.”
As for Smith’s leadership, Dreeshen said he is “very impressed” with her “consensus building” style.
“Jason Kenney had a ‘follow me’ style leadership, which is fine in certain situations to have a pace setter-type leader that says everybody needs to keep up to this pace and keep up to me but I do think that doesn't necessarily always work in politics,” he said.
“The style of leadership that Premier Danielle Smith has is very much consensus building. She’s very open. She listens to what caucus members have to say.
“That's something I'm very impressed with Premier Smith; is how she actually wants to listen to her caucus and cabinet colleagues. Sometimes she doesn't necessarily get her own way on certain topics and direction. So, that I think is a very good leadership quality to have in politics.”
Dreeshen will soon have to deal with the provincial general election that is expected for May; one that is shaping up to be a knock-down-drag-out fight with the NDP.
He said he expects to begin hard campaigning for the expected provincial general election in May once the late February provincial budget is released.
“Elections matter. It's something you can never take for granted. You have to make sure that you have a great team of volunteers around you,” he said.
“I think in all 87 ridings it's going to be a very close competitive race this year. The current polls have it almost a tie with the NDP and the UCP across the province.
“So, this is going to be a very, very close and very important election.”
