Christine Heart stops to pay her respects at the Lillian Hyslop Memorial in Wentworth, NS on April 24, 2020. Liam Hennessey / The Canadian Press
A public investigation says the federal government withheld information alleging that RCMP commissioner Brenda Lucki interfered in the investigation into the Nova Scotia mass shooting on behalf of the Liberal government. And he wants to know why.
Investigations Director Barbara McLean said in a statement Friday that the investigation has asked the Justice Department and the RCMP to explain why they did not disclose all the notes of a Mountie overseeing the April shooting. 2020 to 22 people by a gunman in Nova Scotia.
Ms. McLean said the Mass Victims Commission has also asked for assurances that Ottawa will not hide any other information from the investigation.
This week’s publication of four pages of notes from RCMP Superintendent Darren Campbell’s investigation file ignited a storm of political controversy and led to a parliamentary hearing on whether Commissioner Lucki tried to commit a police investigation for political purposes.
Mrs. McLean said in the statement that the commission cited the entire RCMP investigation file last June, including the notes from the Supt. Campbell.
The statement said the Justice Department sent 132 pages in February 2022, which did not include the Supt. Campbell notes on a meeting with Commissioner Lucki on April 28, 2020, 10 days after the massacre.
The Justice Department filed the missing notes in the investigation on May 31. “The Commission requested an explanation from the Justice Department as to why four pages of Campbell’s original Supt. Notes were missing,” the statement said.
These notes allege that Commissioner Lucki reprimanded the superintendent. Campbell when he refused to prematurely release the type of weapons used in the shooting. He told his officers he had promised the “Minister of Public Security and the Prime Minister’s Office” that he would reveal what kind of firearms were used to generate support for the Liberal government’s arms agenda.
The RCMP was working with U.S. authorities on the investigation because three of the weapons were smuggled in from Maine. Sup. Campbell’s notes say he opposed Commissioner Lucki’s request to reveal the weapons because he believed it would jeopardize the cross-border investigation.
The Justice Department and the RCMP did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Globe.
“The Commission is also asking for an explanation for any other material that has been withheld from material disclosed for privileges or other reviews.… In short, the Commission is seeking assurances that nothing else has been stopped,” Ms . McLean.
The Conservative Party has accused the government of a cover-up and demanded that Justice Minister David Lametti appear before the Committee on Public Safety and National Security next month to explain what happened.
Conservative public safety critic Raquel Dancho said the notes retained are disturbing.
“Why only these four pages?” she said. “Until they can give us evidence to the contrary, how else are we supposed to see this other than a kind of cover-up?”
In Tuesday’s statement, Commissioner Lucki also said she regretted “the way I approached the meeting and the impact it had on attendees.”
He has not yet confirmed or denied the allegations to the Supt. Campbell’s written notes.
Mrs. Dancho said the committee will want Mr. Lametti explains why his department withheld notes from the Nova Scotia investigation.
The committee voted Thursday to hold a hearing in July and convene Commissioner Lucki and other teams involved in the April 28, 2020 discussion. The committee also wants to hear Bill Blair, who was public safety minister at the time.
NDP public safety critic Alistair MacGregor said he believes it may be necessary to expand the scope of the House of Commons study, including the addition of witnesses.
The NDP MP said his level of concern is increasing with the news of the notes being withheld.
“This story seems to get worse every day.”
In his first public comments on the dispute, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on Thursday that his office did not exercise what he called “undue influence” over Commissioner Lucki to take steps that could boost legislation. of the government on gun control.
Speaking to reporters in Kigali, Rwanda, at a Commonwealth meeting, Mr. Trudeau said he and his office “did not interfere at all” with the RCMP’s decisions as to when the details of the weapons used in the mass shooting were to be released.
“We didn’t put any undue influence or pressure,” he said. “It is extremely important to note that it is only the RCMP, only the police, who determines what and when to disclose the information.”
Mr. Trudeau declined to say whether he thought it would be appropriate for Commissioner Lucki to direct subordinates to take action based on political imperatives, such as creating support for gun control legislation.
He added that his government did have “many questions” for the RCMP about the shootings and that it received regular reports on the matter.
The government, however, appeared to be shifting responsibility for the political controversy to Commissioner Lucki after retired teams came to defend the union. Campbell.
Former RCMP commissioner Bob Paulson and other senior retirees told The Globe and Mail on Wednesday that the Supt. Campbell is an officer with integrity who would not falsify his written notes.
Mr. Blair, now Minister of Emergency Preparedness, told the House of Commons on Thursday that he does not argue that the Supt. Campbell is an “exemplary police officer and a man of integrity.”
“I don’t question the superintendent’s integrity or honesty in any way. I know former Commissioner Paulson very well and I take him very word for it when he praises the officer for his integrity,” Blair said.
Mr. Blair said Mr. Campbell was referring to a conversation of which he has no knowledge, as he was not a part of it. However, he noted that Commissioner Lucki issued a statement on Tuesday in which she said the “principle of police independence is taken very seriously”.
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