Canada's largest police union uses media posts, website to 'educate' voters on marshals service

Media posts by the National Police Federation, Canada's largest police union, that urge voters to go to the polls contain a link to its web page where the federation hopes to "educate" people about its concerns over the provincial marshals service.

Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe re-upped his commitment to fund the service during an election campaign stop on Thursday.

The Saskatchewan NDP has called the service "bogus," and says the party would scrap it if elected. 

Over the past week, the National Police Federation, which represents 20,000 RCMP officers across Canada, spent more than $3,500 on sponsored Instagram and Facebook advertisements asking people to vote in the provincial elections on Oct. 28. 

Those posts contain a link to its website, where the federation says the province should invest the money it has in existing police resources instead of the marshals service.

"Spending taxpayer dollars on an unneeded police service when residents are happy with the Saskatchewan RCMP is not the answer," the website says. 

The marshals service, according to the province, is meant to focus on rural crime, gangs and guns, arresting people with outstanding warrants, and assisting RCMP and municipal police when called.

NPF president Brian Sauvé says the union is not trying to lead people to vote for any particular party.

"Are we influencing the voter or are we educating the voter about an issue they might not be aware of?" he said.

"I see it as educating the voter. We might be talking semantics, you might take a different view but, hey, [if] someone wants to file a complaint under the Saskatchewan Election Act, I'm happy to respond."

Elections Saskatchewan says the Election Act does not require third-party advertisers to register in the province.

The website, along with a voting guide, also lists responses from both the parties to a questionnaire about public safety topics, including policing, crime prevention and emergency response.

The NPF is pushing people to vote in the upcoming elections through social media posts and its Saskatchewan website, Our Saskatchewan RCMP, where it calls the service a project with "no plan, no consultation, and no support."

Sauvé said it's a position they've held since before the NDP voiced its concerns against it.