The mess continues in the Mass Casualty Commission, the inquiry into the events surrounding the April, 2020 killing rampage that started in Portapique, Nova Scotia. Now, we have even more details adding to the he said/she said allegations of federal interference in an RCMP investigation, in order to push a firearms ban. The latest revelations appear to indicate a surprising change of heart on the part of the RCMP Commissioner, from keeping investigation details secret, to later releasing them, leading us to ask why.
Allegations of political interference into the police investigation center on claims that RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki prematurely released details of firearms used by the killer, after she was pressured by politicians. Police working on the case did not want to release information on the weapons, they said, as they were still investigating and thought it best to keep those details secret, but Lucki told the press anyway, allegedly to help move the May 1, 2020 Order in Council firearms bans forward.
A former RCMP spokesperson as well as a high-ranking officer both alleged this in documents entered into the Commission's record. The former communications director's letter to Lucki was explicit in its claims of interference from then-Public Safety Minister Bill Blair "Eventually you informed us of the pressures and conversation with Minister Blair, which we clearly understood was related to the upcoming passing of the gun legislation…and there it was. I remember a feeling of disgust as I realized this was the catalyst for the conversation ... "
The latest documents entered into the Commission's records are emails from Lucki. CBC's write-up says that initially, Lucki sent details on the weapons used to Blair's chief of staff and deputy minister on April 23, 2020, and said the information should be kept secret, just as police involved with the investigation wanted. Then, a later email to Blair's chief of staff on April 28, 2020, Lucki seemingly flip-flopped, unhappy with RCMP Superintendent Darren Campbell for not releasing the information on the firearms to the press.
The question now is, why did Lucki change her mind over those five days? According to those involved with the response to the killings, Lucki indicated she was under political pressure from higher-ups, but both Bill Blair and Justin Trudeau claim they did not pressure Lucki. Who's telling the truth, and can it be proven? Stay tuned; this scandal has quietened down a bit over the past few days, but it seems to still have legs. Once again, it may devolve into he said/she said in the end, but Superintendent Campbell and former comms director Lia Scanlan's submissions to the Commission seem to agree on their allegations. Despite its cost overruns and general air of ineptitude, the Mass Casualty Commission may indeed dig up some very damning information yet, but that may relate to officials in Ottawa and their plans to target legal firearms owners, not the botched local response to the Portapique killer.
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