Lawyers representing some of the families of victims of the 2020 Nova Scotia massacre challenged RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lackey as to why she raised the issue of free government gun control laws . It was carried out with weapons illegally obtained and smuggled from the United States.
“I cannot point to anything that suggests there is a logical connection between what happened here in Nova Scotia and the issues addressed by that law. May 1, 2020?We asked Michael Scott of Patterson Law for the role of Lucky. Appeared On August 23, before the Public Casualty Commission, a public inquiry into the tragedy.
The law Scott was referring to was a ban on 1,5000 “assault-style” weapons introduced by the Liberal government shortly after the killings.
“No, I don’t,” Lucky replied.
“I can understand some being concerned that the collective grief and pain optics of my clients and others are being misused to influence the crude political ends of legislators. Do you see why it’s such a serious issue and why we’re so concerned about it?” Scott asked.
Lucky replied: I could see the optics, absolutely, but… I can’t make that connection for you.
Scott explored his series of questions, including at an internal RCMP meeting on April 28, 2020, by asking Lucky why she suggested the government was seeking information about the guns used in the tragedy. I got ahead of myself. It has nothing to do with issues such as illegal gun smuggling across borders.
“I was hoping you could help me … The relationship between that law and what happened here in Nova Scotia goes beyond the fact that firearms are involved,” he said. .
“It doesn’t do justice to make that connection for you,” Lucki said.
The interrogation took place in the days after the tragedy struck amid allegations of political interference in an ongoing investigation as the federal government advanced gun control initiatives.
Note from RCMP Chief Supt. Darren Campbell at the April 28, 2020 meeting released by the Commission said Lucky scolded RCMP staff at the meeting for not publicly disclosing details about firearms. It also said it had “promised” Public Safety Minister Bill Blair and the Prime Minister’s Office to release the information. The note read, “This was related to pending gun control laws.”
Campbell said releasing details of the gun would jeopardize the ongoing murder investigation.
Other senior RCMP members confirmed Campbell’s description of the meeting.
In an April 14, 2021 letter, Lia Scanlan, Director of Strategic Communications for the Nova Scotia RCMP, said Lucki “informed us about the pressure and conversations with Minister Blair. I had a clear understanding that it was related to transit.”
Appearing before a congressional committee on July 25 to investigate allegations of political interference, Supt. I agree with the statement regarding
Appearing before the same committee, Lee Bergerman, former RCMP commander of Division H in Nova Scotia and then retired, said Conservative MP Raquel Dancho said Mr Lucki was under pressure. [Blair] and the Prime Minister’s Office,” which it said was related to the Liberal government’s upcoming gun policy.
The federal government says it did not pressure Lucki to reveal information about firearms.
“At no point did I direct the RCMP on any operational matters, including public communications. I never received any promises.
Lucky says he was not instructed by the government to release the firearms information, but was asked by Blair’s Chief of Staff if he would.
“Ask questions are not interference,” she said at a July 25 committee meeting.
Lucky admitted to using the word “promise” at the April 28, 2020 meeting, but said it was a misunderstanding.
“I tried to tell the minister that I had confirmed with the minister that the information on the weapon would be released at the press conference.
She added that she had provided inaccurate information to her boss due to a “misunderstanding”.
“I felt that I had misled the minister and, by extension, the prime minister.”
Blair told a committee on July 25 that the government had decided to announce the ban shortly after the massacres that left 22 dead and three injured.
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Omid Ghoreishi is a Toronto-based reporter for the Epoch Times.