NDP: Canadians need answers about troubling allegations of interference

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh made the following statement:

"The allegations that the Prime Minister’s office or the Public Safety Minister’s office directed RCMP Commissioner Lucki to interfere in an ongoing police investigation is very disturbing. Yet again, allegations of interference are raising serious questions about political pressure within the RCMP when they're supposed to be independent. The RCMP must always serve the public interest, not the government’s political interest.

These allegations suggest that pressure from the government risked undermining the investigation into the worst mass-shooting in Canadian history—all for their own political agenda. Nova Scotians have suffered enormous losses and the mishandling of the investigation into this shooting is making it incredibly difficult for the families of those who were murdered. How can Nova Scotians who lost their loved ones in this senseless tragedy possibly trust that they will have the answers and accountability they deserve?

All Canadians have to be able to have trust in their institutions. The idea that this government –that any government—would use this horrific act of mass murder to gain support for their gun policy is completely unacceptable. Not only is this inappropriate, it fuels cynicism about our democracy and the elected officials who participate in it.

While our focus remains ensuring Canadians can have trust in their institutions, we are seeing other political parties try to score political points on this issue. That is wrong. If the Conservative party tries to make this about firearms and Bill-21, they're no different than the government. This inquiry must be about getting answers for the victims and now, Canadians from coast-to-coast-to coast have to know why the government was trying to interfere for their own gain.

New Democrats will be calling for a full investigation into these disturbing allegations so that Canadians have the answers they deserve about any interference from the RCMP or their government.”