A report on changes to policing in Alberta is a bomb the Tories don't want going off until after the G-8 conference.
While refusing to detail what changes the report suggests, two separate sources told The Sun a decision was made in February to keep the matter quiet until after the June summit, which is the focus of a massive, police-driven security operation.
Solicitor General Heather Forsyth has described the recommendations as "very controversial," but also refuses to discuss them.
Department spokesman Garnet Lewis said he is unaware of any decision made on the timing for the release of the report.
"I have asked that. The answer I got was that we don't know," Lewis said. "What I do know is that the minister has asked the department to go through the report thoroughly."
Edmonton Centre Liberal MLA Laurie Blakeman, the opposition critic for the Solicitor General's Department, said the apparent decision to hold off releasing the report underlines Forsyth's comment about "very controversial" recommendations.
"Their reaction makes this all sound quite ominous," Blakeman said.
Interest among police is high.
Senior Edmonton cops were yesterday seeking more details after The Sun revealed one of the nearly 40 recommendations in the document.
"I guess we will read it with great interest when it is released," said department spokesman Wes Bellmore.
Calgary police deputy chief Jim Hornby said the report is anxiously awaited by the brass at that department as well.
"Absolutely. We are looking for some very positive changes for policing."
Yesterday's story revealed that one recommendation in the report calls for all municipal police training in Alberta to occur at a single centre. That information came from two separate inside sources.
Changes are also recommended to policing in rural areas and small towns, the sources confirmed, but absolutely no details were forthcoming.
They did say the report, by three Tory members led by Lacombe MLA Judy Gordon, appears to endorse several recommendations made by the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police.
That group's submission, obtained by The Sun in October under the Freedom of Information Act, "strongly" recommends replacing the RCMP with a provincial police force.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. NoNonsense English offers this material non-commercially for research and educational purposes. I believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, i.e. the media service or newspaper which first published the article online and which is indicated at the top of the article unless otherwise specified.