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.
Across the whole year, 86,000 battery-electric and plug-in hybrids were sold, accounting for 5.2 per cent of new registrations. That compares with 54,000 in 2020, making up 3.5 per cent of total vehicle registrations.
The Attorney General's Ministry said the goals of a series of 20 directives for the Crown are prioritizing resolution and negotiated settlement and reducing the potential for legal action over Indigenous rights and title.
Weekly information released by the BC Centre for Disease Control shows the number of hospitalizations has increased to 485 from 364 last week, while 38 people were in critical care.
One person was arrested following a brief protest on the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge this morning. A 24-year-old woman was taken to jail on charges of mischief and intimidated on a roadway.
Victoria police have said five people were in the home early Wednesday when the fire broke out and all made it out alive, although one of the children was injured and a woman needed to be rescued from a window ledge by fire crews.
On April 17th, at 6:04 pm, AbbyPD responded to a second robbery at a gas station located in the 33800 block of Essendene Ave. A lone male suspect described as being 6ft tall, with a medium build, blonde hair, and wearing dark clothing, entered the store with his face covered, displayed a firearm, and obtained money before departing the area on foot.
