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.
The crime occurred around 9 p.m. Monday night, after a 40-year-old man tried to steal three tubs of ice cream worth just $21. When grocery store staff tried to stop the thief, two accomplices approached and flashed a gun, allowing the thief to run away.
The Mayors said a big obstacle for travellers still remains as when entering Canada, they must take a molecular test such as a PCR test, which can cost hundreds of dollars.
Sixty-nine per cent of respondents to an online survey by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies say they support Canada's announcement at the summit that it will cap and reduce pollution from the oil and gas sector toward net zero by 2050.
The booster is designed to help people with their first two COVID-19 vaccine doses maintain their protection against the virus over time. The booster is identical to the regular Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and is to be administered at least six months after the first two vaccine doses.
O'Toole chose his shadow cabinet at a time when he's dealing with some members of his caucus expressing what he characterizes as unhelpful and confusing messages about getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
The report from the Crown utility says more than half of Lower Mainland residents think their region is the most prepared for storm-related power outages, but fewer than half have an outage plan or emergency kit at home.
