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 victim has been identified as 23-year old Christopher Singh, from Delta. Mr. Singh was known to police and had suspected involvement in the Lower Mainland gang conflict.
82.1% (3,805,781) of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 70.6% (3,274,116) received their second dose.
The community of Monte Lake, in B.C.'s central Interior, was hit by a wind-fanned wildfire last week that chased out residents and destroyed homes and businesses.
The federal Immigration Department said the college will open in November and will have the needed legal tools to investigate professional misconduct and discipline its licensees to root out immigration fraud and protect people wishing to come to Canada.
The company has signed a memorandum of understanding with the federal government that will result in Canada becoming the home of Moderna's first foreign operation. It's not clear yet how much money Canada has offered to Moderna for the project.
Justice Minister David Lametti says he will appoint a special interlocutor to work with Indigenous communities and the government to propose changes to federal laws, policies and practices that are related to unmarked graves at residential schools.
