Nova Scotia at the center of controversy over possible political interference by RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lackey after 2020 shootings A senior RCMP official doubles down on his claims.
RCMP chief his supt. Darren Campbell told a House committee on Tuesday, in a telephone call on April 28, 2020, that Lucky was "sad and disappointed" that Campbell did not release details about the gunman's weaponry at a press conference.
Campbell told the MP, the commissioner told the offices of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and then-Secretary of Public Safety Bill Blair, He said he had "promised" to release those details.
Campbell said he tried to tell Lucky that releasing the information could adversely affect ongoing investigations involving US agencies.
"The commissioner told my colleagues and me, that it was incomprehensible that this was related to pending legislation to make police officers and the public safer.
}When asked how many of his calls with Lucky were about releasing gun information, Campbell said that the 20 minutes he listened to before walking out of the meeting
Blair and Lucky have repeatedly denied that Blair interfered in the investigation.
I couldn't do it, and I didn't intend to break it."
Campbell did not intend to get into "political disagreements and debates" about what happened at the April 28 meeting, but he was lucky. And there were principles at stake.
"The principles are the oaths I took as a recruit more than 30 years ago," he said. "I could not and could not break that oath." Revealed through access to the Information Request. Despite a request from the Nova Scotia Cavalry to share information on firearms only within his RCMP, Lucky made those details available to the Minister of Public Safety's office. Send to, the Prime Minister's National Security Advisor.
When asked how the public could be assured that the massacre investigation was not affected by the sharing of this information, Campbell said it was a difficult question to answer. Well" may have been compromised.
Campbell stated that it was clear that the Office of the Minister of Public Safety had an interest in firearms, and that a conversation between Blair and Lucky could have taken place.
His 13-hour rampage by gunmen claimed 22 lives and is now under public investigation .
Nova Scotia Lia Scanlan , former communications director of the Nova Scotia RCMP, said she appeared before the committee alongside Campbell.
Scanlan wrote to the Commissioner more than a year after the shootings, reflecting Campbell's concerns and calling Lucky that the meeting was "appalling, inappropriate, It is unprofessional and highly disrespectful."
On Tuesday, Scanlan recalled her "disgust" over her April 28 phone call with Lucki, telling MP she was told "she's I understood it correctly," he said.
When asked her thoughts on whether new legislation should be enacted to strengthen the RCMP's independence and prevent political interference, Scanlan said that it should be done.
While it is important to inform political partners such as Federal Cabinet members and the Prime Minister of ongoing investigations, they may interfere with the case or influence.
"Words need to be carefully considered. If ambiguous, we need to be more specific to avoid this kind of situation again," said Scanlan. rice field.
At Tuesday's commission, Scanlan and Campbell were fronted by a number of people, including Deputy Minister of Justice François Daigle and Acting Deputy Attorney General Owen Rees.
Daigle wondered why four important pages of Campbell's memorandum on April 28th's call were withheld from the Commission, among thirty-five pages from other senior cavalrymen. Asked if it was considered for legal prerogative. A team of legal counsel will flag any page for review if there is a "reference to the submission," he said. , or a reference to legal advice,” among other things, he said. He killed 22 people. Top row from left: Gina Goulet, Dawn Glenthin, Jolene Oliver, Frank Glenthin, Sean McLeod, Alana Jenkins. Row 2: Jon Zahl, Lisa McCurry, Joey Webber, Heidi Stevenson, Heather O'Brien, Jamie Blair. Third row from top: Kristen Beaton, Lillian Campbell, Joanne Thomas, Peter Bond, Tom Bagley, Greg Blair. Bottom row: Emily Tuck, Joy Bond, Corey Ellison, Aaron Tuck. (CBC)
Daigle noted that the Office of the Minister of Justice decided which documents should be withheld for review and collected thousands of documents. He said he was "not at all involved" in the disclosure of information to the government. commission.
Two of his RCMP other members of his staff were also summoned to the committee: Alison Whelan, Chief Strategic Policy and External Relations Officer; Jolene Bradley, National Communications Service; Director.
The Commission agreed on Tuesday to suspend the investigation for the time being, and plans to hold another in-camera meeting on the matter in September.