In 1994, when the new powers of policing, about to be given to the BC SPCA by the NDP government were being debated in the legislature, Social Credit MLA Harry de Jong put his finger squarely on the possible problems that have since in fact been realized in deed.
Mr de Jong asked, "What is riper for empire building than a legislated monopoly?" He also said, "It's a very strange kind of privatization: giving police powers to a private organization. To have a say in the policies adopted, you would have to buy a membership.... The question is though: what other society has similar jurisdiction extended beyond the confines of its voluntary membership to the general public? ....I believe that police powers ought to be exercised by the police...Giving this power to private society is quite alien to our legal system.... Dangerous precedent in endowing any private organization, no matter how benevolent, with police powers bolstered by statutory immunity from damage claims
The then Minister of Agriculture (which has responsibility for the SPCA) assured the opposition that, "...we still have a responsibility to ensure that the significant powers given to the SPCA are used reasonably. To help ensure that, the amendments will require the SPCA to put in place comprehensive policies and procedures to guide its agents on the use of the act's enforcement powers, and they will make those policies subject to government review.