Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair is casting doubt on the Nova Scotia Mountie who suggested Commissioner Brenda Lucki interfered in the investigation into the largest mass shooting in Canadian history.
The former public safety minister’s comments come as the political firestorm around the head of the national police force spills into a second day.
That explosive allegation was contained in handwritten notes from Nova Scotia RCMP Supt. Darren Campbell which were released Tuesday as part of the Mass Casualty Commission probe.
The commission is investigating the April 18-19, 2020, rampage that claimed the lives of 22 people — including a pregnant woman — and left several people injured and several homes destroyed. The commission released a report Tuesday on the way the RCMP and government communicated with the public about the incident.
WATCH | Bill Blair denies government intervened in N.S. shooting investigation:
Minister addresses claims of federal interference in N.S. mass shooting investigation
5 hours ago
Duration 1:02
Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair says the federal government was never involved in conversations between RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki and her subordinates around the investigation into the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting.
In those notes, Campbell wrote that RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki was upset that the RCMP in Nova Scotia were not revealing more information about the weapons used because she had promised the federal government — which was considering gun control legislation at the time — that they would raise it.
“The superintendent obviously came to his own conclusions and his notes reflect that,” Blair told reporters Wednesday.
“But I’m telling you, and I would tell the superintendent if I spoke to him, I made no effort to pressure the RCMP to interfere in any way with their investigation. I gave no direction as to what information they should communicate. Those are operational decisions of the RCMP and I respect that and I have respected that throughout.”
Lucki has also denied interfering in the investigation.
“As a police officer, and the RCMP commissioner, I would never take actions or decisions that could jeopardize an investigation,” Lucki wrote in a statement released Tuesday evening.
Lucki, seen speaking at a 2019 news conference in Ottawa, says she did not interfere in the N.S. shooting investigation. (Chris Wattie/The Canadian Press)
While the statement did not directly address the claim that she was pushing for the release of more information to help the Liberals’ plans for gun control, Lucki wrote that briefings with the public safety minister are necessary, particularly during a mass shooting.
“I take the principle of police independence extremely seriously, and it has been and will continue to be fully respected in all interactions,” she wrote.
Blair, who was the minister of public safety at the time of the shooting spree, said he has faith in the commissioner, who was appointed by the Liberal government in 2018.
The new public safety minister, Marco Mendicino, said he believes the “principle of operational independence” was upheld. That sets out that the RCMP commission is accountable to the minister, but operationally independent and should be free from direction or influence of elected officials when fulfilling its core law enforcement functions.
WATCH | Public safety minister on N.S. mass shooting investigation:
Public safety minister on N.S. mass shooting investigation
2 hours ago
Duration 1:52
Marco Mendicino reacts to the Conservatives claiming that the federal Liberal government interfered with the Nova Scotia shooting investigation. Liberals deny the claims.
“Naturally, in the aftermath of this, there was a great anxiety, a great fear, a great sense of despair and anguish and loss, and Canadians had and continue to have a right to know as to what went on. So, in those moments, there will be an exchange of information,” said Mendicino Wednesday.
“There will be conversations had about what went on, and I think there is a responsibility on the part of both law enforcement and government to be upfront with Canadians which is why there needs to be exchanges of information contemporaneous to those events.”
Conservatives believe Campbell: Bergen
Conservatives are demanding an emergency debate immediately and a House of Commons committee investigation to get to the bottom of the allegations.
“This is disgusting to know that the prime minister and his office would use the death of Canadians for his own political gain,” said Interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen.
“Conservatives believe Supt. Darren Campell when he says that Brenda Lucki, the commissioner, pressured him, pressured the RCMP, and the reason she did it was because she had made a commitment or she had been pressured by the Prime Minister’s Office and/or the public safety minister.”
WATCH | Victims’ families lash out at N.S. shooting inquiry:
Angry victims’ families heard at N.S. shooting inquiry
18 hours ago
Duration 4:57
Family members of the N.S. shooting victims expressed their frustration about how the RCMP handled telling them about what happened to their loved ones. Meanwhile, a report questioned whether the RCMP’s top cop interfered with the release of some information because of promises to the Prime Minister’s Office.
According to Campbell’s notes, Lucki’s alleged comments came during a meeting about a week after the shootings.
During a news conference, Campbell told reporters the gunman had two semi-automatic handguns and two semi-automatic rifles.
“The commissioner was obviously upset. She did not raise her voice but her choice of words was indicative of her overall dissatisfaction with our work,” Campbell wrote after meeting with Lucki on April 28.
“The Commissioner said she had promised the Minister of Public Safety and the Prime Minister’s Office that the RCMP (we) would release this information,” Campbell continued.
Releasing gun info might hurt case, RCMP Supt. wrote
“I tried to explain there was no intent to disrespect anyone, however we could not release this information at this time. The Commissioner then said that we didn’t understand, that this was tied to pending gun control legislation that would make officers and the public safer.”
Campbell wrote that he believed releasing information about the firearms might hamper the investigation.
“I said we couldn’t because to do so would jeopardize ongoing efforts to advance the U.S. side of the case as well as the Canadian components of the investigation,” he wrote.
Soon after that April 28 meeting, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a ban on some 1,500 firearm makes and models, including two of the guns used in the Nova Scotia mass shooting — a Colt Law Enforcement Carbine, a semi-automatic weapon, and a Ruger Mini-14.
WATCH | Did the government try to interfere in N.S. shooting investigation?
Did the government try to interfere in an RCMP investigation of the Nova Scotia mass shooting?
21 hours ago
Duration 11:02
A report released by a public inquiry into the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting suggests RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki had promised the government to release information regarding the firearms used in the tragedy. MPs Taleeb Noormohamed and Raquel Dancho weigh in.
At that time, police had still not released the specific makes and models used in the attacks. That information didn’t become public until the fall of 2020, when the National Post reported details of the weapons after obtaining a briefing note prepared for the prime minister after the shooting.
During an interview on CBC’s Power& Politics onMay 1, 2020 to tout the gun ban,Blair said the RCMP would reveal more information about the weapons used in the shooting when they deemed it appropriate.
“I think most appropriately the RCMP will reveal the information of their investigation when they have concluded and at a time they deem appropriate. The RCMP, in the completion of their investigation, will at their own appropriate time reveal the details of that investigation and I’m not going to preempt them on that,” he said.
When asked if he was suggesting the weapons were legally obtained, Blair said the guns are relevant to the Liberal’s ban.
“Let me be very clear, the weapons used in this offence are very relevant to the work that we have done today,” he said. “And I believe Canadians will have a better understanding of that when that information becomes available.”
“The weapons used in this offense are very relevant to the work that we have done today.” <a href=”https://twitter.com/BillBlair?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@BillBlair</a> says Canadians will have a better understanding of how today’s gun control announcement connects to the Nova Scotia shooting when the RCMP concludes its investigation. <a href=”https://t.co/yGWZCr1aAy”>pic.twitter.com/yGWZCr1aAy</a>
Investigators have said they believe the shooter, Gabriel Wortman, who didn’t have a firearms licence, obtained three of the guns used during the massacre in Maine and smuggled them into Canada.
Mounties ‘reduced to tears’ in meeting: Campbell
Of the meeting with Lucki, Campbell wrote that some in the room “were reduced to tears and emotional over this belittling reprimand.”
In her Tuesday statement, Lucki said she regrets her behaviour in that meeting, which she said was called to discuss several matters, including the flow of information to RCMP national headquarters and the public release of information.
“It was a tense discussion, and I regret the way I approached the meeting and the impact it had on those in attendance,” she said.
“My need for information should have been better weighed against the seriousness of the circumstances they were experiencing. I should have been more sensitive in my approach. Had I led the meeting differently, these employees would have felt more supported during what I know was an extremely difficult time.”
Lucki is expected to be called as a witness next month.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
MONTREAL – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he will not be taking advice from Pierre Poilievre after the Conservative leader challenged him to bring down government.
“I say directly to Pierre Poilievre: I’m not going to listen to you,” said Singh on Wednesday, accusing Poilievre of wanting to take away dental-care coverage from Canadians, among other things.
“I’m not going to listen to your advice. You want to destroy people’s lives, I want to build up a brighter future.”
Earlier in the day, Poilievre challenged Singh to commit to voting non-confidence in the government, saying his party will force a vote in the House of Commons “at the earliest possibly opportunity.”
“I’m asking Jagmeet Singh and the NDP to commit unequivocally before Monday’s byelections: will they vote non-confidence to bring down the costly coalition and trigger a carbon tax election, or will Jagmeet Singh sell out Canadians again?” Poilievre said.
“It’s put up or shut up time for the NDP.”
While Singh rejected the idea he would ever listen to Poilievre, he did not say how the NDP would vote on a non-confidence motion.
“I’ve said on any vote, we’re going to look at the vote and we’ll make our decision. I’m not going to say our decision ahead of time,” he said.
Singh’s top adviser said on Tuesday the NDP leader is not particularly eager to trigger an election, even as the Conservatives challenge him to do just that.
Anne McGrath, Singh’s principal secretary, says there will be more volatility in Parliament and the odds of an early election have risen.
“I don’t think he is anxious to launch one, or chomping at the bit to have one, but it can happen,” she said in an interview.
New Democrat MPs are in a second day of meetings in Montreal as they nail down a plan for how to navigate the minority Parliament this fall.
The caucus retreat comes one week after Singh announced the party has left the supply-and-confidence agreement with the governing Liberals.
It’s also taking place in the very city where New Democrats are hoping to pick up a seat on Monday, when voters go to the polls in Montreal’s LaSalle—Émard—Verdun. A second byelection is being held that day in the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood—Transcona, where the NDP is hoping to hold onto a seat the Conservatives are also vying for.
While New Democrats are seeking to distance themselves from the Liberals, they don’t appear ready to trigger a general election.
Singh signalled on Tuesday that he will have more to say Wednesday about the party’s strategy for the upcoming sitting.
He is hoping to convince Canadians that his party can defeat the federal Conservatives, who have been riding high in the polls over the last year.
Singh has attacked Poilievre as someone who would bring back Harper-style cuts to programs that Canadians rely on, including the national dental-care program that was part of the supply-and-confidence agreement.
The Canadian Press has asked Poilievre’s office whether the Conservative leader intends to keep the program in place, if he forms government after the next election.
With the return of Parliament just days away, the NDP is also keeping in mind how other parties will look to capitalize on the new makeup of the House of Commons.
The Bloc Québécois has already indicated that it’s written up a list of demands for the Liberals in exchange for support on votes.
The next federal election must take place by October 2025 at the latest.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is defending her decision to turn off comments on her social media accounts — with an announcement on social media.
She posted screenshots to X this morning of vulgar names she’s been called on the platform, and says comments on her posts for months have been dominated by insults, to the point that she decided to block them.
Montreal’s Opposition leader and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association have criticized Plante for limiting freedom of expression by restricting comments on her X and Instagram accounts.
They say elected officials who use social media should be willing to hear from constituents on those platforms.
However, Plante says some people may believe there is a fundamental right to call someone offensive names and to normalize violence online, but she disagrees.
Her statement on X is closed to comments.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
