Hill security: Mauril Bélanger's plan to preserve primacy of Parliament

  • National Newswatch

As the Hill Times' Tim Naumetz reported today, Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger (Ottawa Vanier) has developed a counter-proposal to the government's plan to integrate security on Parliament Hill under RCMP command.Mr. Bélanger's concern, and that of some other parliamentarians and parliamentary experts, is that "a security force accountable to the government rather than to Parliament could be perceived as outside interference".  His proposal, contained in a letter to Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney, is that Parliament maintain its independence from government by initiating an arrangement similar to that used by provinces who contract for RCMP services.    MP Mauril Bélanger's letter to Public Safety Minister Steven BlaneyIn his letter to Minister Blaney, Mr. Bélanger attached a copy of Article 7 of the Canada-BC agreement respecting RCMP services.  ARTICLE 7 - BC & CANADA En