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 his most personal public remarks yet about his motivation behind the deal with the Liberals, Singh said the pact was about helping "to create the world I want to leave for her." Singh said his perspective changed after becoming a father for the first time in January and he often imagined what the world would be like for his daughter when she reaches 12.
Freeland says removing Russia from the G20 was a key topic of discussion during meetings this week of finance ministers and central bankers from the group of nations.
Pre-entry tests will still be needed for partially vaccinated or unvaccinated travellers over the age of 12 who are eligible to travel to Canada. Children under five years of age don't currently require a COVID-19 test.
The first incident occurred on March 20 when a man exposed his genitals to a student in the college library. This incident was recently reported to police. The second incident occurred on March 27 when a man exposed his genitals to a staff member at the college.
The briefing notes prepared for Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough say that unvaccinated workers could qualify for EI sickness benefits, even if they are sick with COVID-19.
The public will also be able to watch committees where MPs discuss a variety of issues including health and Indigenous affairs. Next month, guided tours of the House of Commons will also restart for the first time since March 2020.
