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Trudeau says Ottawa ‘had a lot of questions’ after N.S. mass shooting but didn’t interfere in investigation

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government had questions about the 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia but remained adamant his government did not interfere in the investigation.

His comments come as two Mounties in Nova Scotia claim there was political pressure coming from Ottawa over┬аwhat to say in the aftermath of the deadliest mass shooting in Canadian history.

“We did not put any undo influence or pressure. It is extremely important to highlight that it is only the RCMP, it is only police that determine what and when to release information,”┬а said Trudeau, during a Thursday scrum with reporters in Kigali, Rwanda where he’s attending a Commonwealth summit.

“I will highlight, however, that when the worst mass shooting in Canada’s history happened, we had a lot of questions. Canadians had a lot of questions.”

Trudeau said he still “very much” has confidence in Lucki, who he appointed in 2018, as she battles a new┬аscandal after handwritten notes from Nova Scotia RCMP Supt. Darren Campbell were released earlier this week as part of the Mass Casualty Commission probe.

WATCH | Government denies interfering in N.S. mass shooting investigation:

Government denies interfering in N.S. mass shooting investigation

The government continued to deny allegations of political interference in the Nova Scotia mass shooting investigation. A report alleged RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki asked officers for more information about guns used in the massacre to share with the public safety minister and the prime minister as they worked on new gun-control legislation.

The inquiry is investigating the April 18-19, 2020, rampage that claimed the lives of 22 people тАФ including a pregnant woman тАФ and left several people injured and several homes destroyed.┬а

In Campbell’s notes, which were written after an April 28, 2020 conference call between headquarters and the division, he alleges that 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 тАФ which was considering gun control legislation at the time тАФ that they would raise it.

“The Commissioner said she had promised the minister of public safety and the Prime Minister’s Office that the RCMP┬аwould release this information,” he said.

Campbell wrote that he believed releasing information about the firearms might hurt the investigation.

“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.”

Gun ban announced days later

Just days 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 тАФ a Colt Law Enforcement Carbine, a semi-automatic weapon, and a Ruger Mini-14.

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.

In his notes from the time, RCMP Supt. Darren Campbell wrote that RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki was upset that police in Nova Scotia were not revealing more information about the weapons used in the April 2020 mass shooting. The notes were released Tuesday as part of the Mass Casualty Commission probe. (Robert Guertin/CBC)

Trudeau said he received regular briefings on what police knew and didn’t know abut the shooter and the case.

“Those answers continue to come out,” he said. “We will continue to take responsible action.”┬а

On Wednesday Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair, who was the minister of public safety at the time of the shooting spree, swatted down Campbell’s written account of the call.

“The superintendent obviously came to his own conclusions and his notes reflect that,” he said.

“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.”

Ex-communications head says there was ‘political pressure’

Campbell is not the only Nova Scotia Mountie to have flagged influence coming from Ottawa during the rampage’s aftermath.

In an interview with commission investigators earlier this year, Lia Scanlan, the RCMP’s former civilian director of the strategic communications unit in the province, said Blair and the prime minister “were weighing in on what we could and couldn’t say.”

She said Lucki was advised not to do media interviews but did anyway, and in so doing, gave inaccurate information.

“She went out and did that and knew damn well тАУ and it was all political pressure,” said Scanlan.

Lia Scanlan was the head of communications for Nova Scotia RCMP in April 2020. (Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press)

“That is 100 per cent Minister Blair and the prime minister and we have a commissioner that does not push back.”

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said “there was an exchange of information” after the shooting but maintained there was no interference.

While the RCMP commissioner is accountable to the minister, they are meant to operate independently.┬а

The Supreme Court of Canada has made clear that the “commissioner is not to be considered a servant or agent of the government while engaged in a criminal investigation.”

“I think it is incredibly important that Canadians have trust in their institutions, including the RCMP and all law enforcement,” said Mendicino, who has been tasked with reforming the RCMP.

“What is important for Canadians is that there is a line of respect that was demonstrated around the principle of operational independence,”┬а

Families are troubled, says law firm

On Wednesday evening, Mendicino said he hadn’t spoken to Lucki.

The minister said he will let the commission review the facts.

“We look forward to ultimately seeing the report and to working closely with the commissioners on any recommendations which they might provide,” he said.

Lucki is expected to be called as a witness at the inquiry next month.

Patterson Law, the firm representing the families of more than a dozen of the victims in the mass shooting, issued a statement Wednesday saying their clients are troubled by the allegations.┬а

“In the days following April 19, 2020, all efforts should have been focused on supporting victims, their families and the active investigation being carried out by local RCMP. Interfering in those efforts, to exploit a perceived political opportunity or otherwise, would have been inexcusable,” reads the statement.

“We trust that the Mass Casualty Commission recognizes the importance of determining the truth of these allegations and the need for fulsome cross-examination of the relevant witnesses.”

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