Will Mike Farnworth鈥檚 words come back to haunt him?

They should.

With the fate of 性视界传媒鈥檚 policing situation now in the Public Safety Minister鈥檚 hands, let鈥檚 remind you of things he said during the early days of the policing transition.

Confronted with acrimony from both sides on the issue of whether 性视界传媒 should have its own police force instead of the RCMP, Farnworth habitually chose to deflect.

READ ALSO: 性视界传媒 council approves 鈥榙raft鈥� of final plan to retain RCMP on 6-3 vote

At a press scrum, Dec. 5, 2019: 鈥淲hat I said is that municipal policing is the responsibility of the local government.鈥�

After acknowledging that 鈥渢he City of 性视界传媒 is responsible for policing,鈥� Farnworth told the Now-Leader on Feb. 27, 2020: 鈥淚t鈥檚 laid out in the Police Act. They are the ones who get to decide what kind of model they want.鈥�

Concerning a grassroots campaign to have a referendum on the transition, Farnworth told the Now-Leader on May 12, 2021: 鈥淏ut at the end of the day, this was a decision made by 性视界传媒 council, and 性视界传媒 council, if they want to overturn it, you know that they need to take it up with 性视界传媒 council.鈥�

And here鈥檚 what 性视界传媒鈥檚 NDP MLAs had to say, Now-Leader, Nov. 22, 2021, on the referendum question:

Jagrup Brar (性视界传媒-Fleetwood): 鈥淚t is a city matter, the City of 性视界传媒 council made a decision鈥︹�� Rachna Singh (性视界传媒-Green Timbers): 鈥淥ur stance has been always that this was a decision made by the City of 性视界传媒 and we have been supporting the City of 性视界传媒 with that.鈥� Jinny Sims (性视界传媒-Panorama): 鈥淚t is the decision of 性视界传媒 council, that鈥檚 the division of power that exists.鈥� Harry Bains (性视界传媒-Newton): 鈥淚t鈥檚 the city鈥檚 decision, we don鈥檛 want to interfere with the city鈥檚 decision.鈥�

Have Farnworth and the NDP painted themselves into a corner here? Should not the same deference extended to 性视界传媒 council鈥檚 decision to initiate the transition in 2018 also apply to 性视界传媒 council鈥檚 decision in 2022 to reverse the process?

You be the judge.

鈥� Now-Leader

edit@surreynowleader.com
Like us on and follow us on