Perhaps some of you were at the First Nations Policing Workshop that was held in Calgary last year. At that time I said I strongly believed that the combined policing expertise of the Ministry of the Solicitor General of Canada and the provinces and territories together with your knowledge of your own cultural and community needs, was a surefire recipe for success. I think this agreement and others we have concluded since last year are proof that my belief was well-founded. Heritage Park was chosen as the site for today's signing ceremony. Peace of mind is impossible to achieve if you're worried about crime - about harm to your children.
Peace of mind can only exist where there is safety and security.
That is the main purpose of the framework agreement we are signing here today. It is designed to encourage the development of safe and secure First Nations communities through the provision of professional and culturally sensitive police services. Here in Saskatchewan policing, historically, has always been associated with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. And since 1873 when the RCMP first came here, they have always worked with the Indian people of the province. The result has been the development of a special relationship that has continually changed and improved over the years.