Canada introduces bill for border officer and national police oversight - again

FILE PHOTO: RCMP officers are seen at a checkpoint ahead of the border crossing, as supporters continue to protest coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine mandates nearby, in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, February 19, 2022. REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's federal government introduced a bill on Thursday to establish an oversight body for its border police and its national police service after two previous bills died when Parliament was dissolved.

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino called the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) "Canada’s front line" and said he hoped to maintain that trust through independent review and accountability mechanisms.