Politics This Morning: Key Nova Scotia RCMP members to testify in hearings on political interference
Good Tuesday morning, The House Public Safety Committee will meet at 11 a.m. today to hear from the deputy minister of justice and from senior RCMP members. The committee is continuing its investigation into allegations that the government interfered politically in the RCMP’s investigation of the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting in order to support […]
Joly’s intervention to ban handgun imports ‘a significant and creative measure,’ says gun control advocate
The government’s move to ban the import of most legal handguns as of Aug. 19 came as a surprise both to gun control advocates and to gun enthusiasts, but it is also a tacit acknowledgment of a boom in gun sales in Canada since the government’s May 30 announcement of pending gun control legislation. Public […]
Committee hearing exposes rift within RCMP, but observer says political interference claims in mass shooting investigation a red herring
Recent testimony from current and former RCMP employees before the House Public Safety Committee has shed light on tensions between “downtown” command in Ottawa and senior RCMP leadership in Nova Scotia in the days after the April 2020 mass shooting that began in Portapique, N.S. But a veteran political observer says claims of political interference […]
Committee to weigh ‘appearance’ of political interference with government status quo in NS shooting case
Despite two weeks of difficult questions and condemnations for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and members of his cabinet, analysts and Liberal strategists aren’t convinced that the controversy over the alleged interference in the RCMP’s investigation of the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting is something Canadian voters are actually concerned about. While the Liberals’ political rivals […]
New cyber strategy must tackle chronic talent shortage
Last December, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called on four senior cabinet ministers to develop a new national cyber security strategy as a part of their public safety, innovation, foreign affairs, and defence mandates. It was welcome news, because both the frequency and severity of the cyber threats facing this country have increased drastically since the […]
Delayed federal handgun freeze could mean summer sales spike
By announcing a freeze on almost all handgun sales and transfers in Canada, but delaying the implementation of that freeze, the federal government has given gun enthusiasts and stores a powerful incentive to buy and sell as many handguns as they can before the deadline, say the head of a firearm lobby group and a […]
RCMP neither requested nor planned for Emergencies Act powers, commissioner tells MPs, Senators
The Emergencies Act helped reduce the size of the so-called Freedom Convoy protests in Ottawa before the police action that finally cleared the blockade, but those powers were not requested, nor needed, to clear out other protests around the country, according to RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki. “I believe that the act provided us with tools […]
Handguns occupy ‘tremendous amount of time’ in Public Safety Committee’s firearms study, says NDP MP MacGregor
The discussion around handguns occupied a “tremendous amount of time” from witnesses while the House Public Safety and National Security Committee studied gun control, illegal arms trafficking, and the increase in gun crimes committed by members of street gangs, says an NDP committee member as the group finalizes a report on the study. “One of […]
Lack of leadership to unite Canadians could bring in American-style divisive politics in Canada, warn political insiders
The lack of leadership at the federal level to unite Canadian could bring in American-style divisive politics in the country which means politics will be a lot more about emotion and less about finding the best way forward, warn political insiders. “It means we move along to the same path, the Americans have moved on […]
Study reveals crucial workplace improvements needed for RCMP support staff
Crucial workplace improvements for RCMP operational support staff, largely women, are needed to improve public safety for all Canadians. Earlier this week, Rosemary Ricciardelli, a leading public safety researcher, and I had the opportunity to share key insights into Canada’s first-ever exploration of occupational stress injuries among Detachment Services Assistants (DSAs) working for the Royal […]
