Ottawa, June 24 (IANS) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has denied meddling in an investigation into the 2020 mass shooting, the worst the country's history.
Brenda Lucki, head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), has been accused of pressuring local officers to help advance Trudeau's gun control plans, the BBC quoted the Halifax Examiner as saying, which was the first to report on the development.
According to the Halifax Examiner, the accusation stemmed from notes made by a local RCMP officer, released as part of a public investigation into the mass shooting on April 18-19, 2020, during which a gunman posing as a police officer killed 22 people in Nova Scotia.
The suspect died in a stand-off with police.
Addressing reporters on Thursday, Trudeau said that his government "did not put any undo influence or pressure" on police.
"It is extremely important to highlight that it is only the RCMP, it is only police that determine what and when to release information," the BBC quoted the Prime Minister as saying.
Denying the accusations, Commissioner Lucki said in a statement released on Tuesday that information sharing between the federal government and police is normal during a high-profile event such as a mass shooting.
The RCMP chief however acknowledged that she "should have been more sensitive" in her approach.
Canada's opposition Conservative Party has called for a debate in the House of Commons, and a parliamentary committee voted on Thursday to hold a hearing into the matter.
In the wake of the deadliest rampage in Canadian history, Prime Minister Trudeau in May 2020 announced an immediate ban on the sale, transportation, importation, or use of some 1,500 makes and models of "military-grade assault-style" weapons.
In its latest financial system review, the central bank said Thursday the twin factors have increased the downside risk to economic growth as rising rates meant to counter inflation increase the chance of households having to divert consumption towards debt repayments.
RCMP said at the time that a masked man armed with a sawed-off semi-automatic rifle shot Williams, who was 69, in front of his wife in the store's parking lot during an attempted robbery.
Sims made it official Wednesday at an event with the newly formed municipal party Surrey Forward and the party's four declared council candidates, Ramon Bandong, Jim Bennett, June Liu and Theresa Pidcock.
An official with the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre says the search began Wednesday afternoon when the five-metre rental motorboat was spotted adrift in English Bay.
People travelling through Canadian airports have been experiencing long lines and flight delays as post-pandemic travel ramps up, particularly at Toronto Pearson airport.
