Adam Radwanski is bitingly sarcastic as he considers the show of force put on by the RCMP at Conservative Party headquarters:

"Police officers in civilian clothes, but wearing flak jackets and one wearing a holster, entered and left the offices at 130 Albert Street, but refused further comment."

So reports the Toronto Star from today's festivities at Conservative HQ. Which only makes sense: Who knew what receptionist or mid-level organizational director could burst out from behind a corner, willing to go down firing rather than surrender their incendiary fundraising documents?

Adam goes on to point out that the RCMP is not above engaging in some headline-grabbing showmanship.

To be fair to the RCMP, an officer on duty does not go out without his sidearm.  Though there was no way that gunfire would erupt at Conservative Party headquarters, an officer on duty is always prepared.  Who's to say a violent bank robbery would not play out on the street outside of the building housing the party offices just as the Mounties were arriving?

The flak jacket might be a bit over the top, but really it falls under the category of standard equipment in a world where deadly violence could come at you from any angle, unlikely as that may be.  Having said that, I'm sure not every officer is required to wear a flak jacket.  Plainclothes officers, for example, just wear suits.

Nevertheless, I'm not sure the RCMP is playing media games here.  To me it is just as likely that Elections Canada got there warrant, called on the RCMP to provide an escort, and reminded the Mounties of the sensitivity of the situation.  Why the Mounties were wearing flak jackets is a question I can't answer.  In any case, someone at Elections Canada then called the press, and perhaps even the Liberal Party.  That would be very disturbing, though it is possible the Liberals learned of the action secondhand from the press.

When the Mounties show up with the Elections Canada official (an ex-Mountie himself), they are greeted by camera crews from the CBC.

In other words, the Mounties were being used by Elections Canada as props in this public relations exercise. 

Elections Canada had every right to call on the Mounties to provide an escort, but not to parade armed officers in front of cameras in order to showcase the power Elections Canada can wield when someone dares disagree with its interpretation of election law.

If this is true, Elections Canada would have made few friends from within RCMP headquarters.

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