Well, sadly, they have chosen to assert such things, and give themselves such rights unilaterally .... And let's face it, a CPC Government isn't going to stand in their way .... Therefore, they now have such authority, since nobody dares oppose them .... The latest recruit of the RCMP now officially outranks the Prime Minister of Canada ... Wether we like it or not, that is now fact.
Oh, I'm sorry. Here all along I thought we lived in a democracy where interpretation of the law was left to the courts. Unless I'm mistaken, we're not quite a police state - yet.
What the cops "think" doesn't mean a tinkers damn. It's their job to enforce the law of the land as passed through legislation and be regulation. They don't have the ability to make s**t up as they go along. It's either a variant, or it isn't. Those guidlines and the priciples behind them have to be applied consistently and evenly. Either that, or their ass ends up before an ombudsman or before the courts.
We all know how much the RCMP are enjoying public scrutiny these days. They're walking on thin ice and the sheeple aren't so completely and blindly trusting these days. A little media and public pressure can go a long way.
I think I'm going to spend $5 for a "Freedom for Information" request and ask for the RCMP guidlines used during the classification process. Why someone on this site hasn't done so yet already surprises me.