Evidence of meeting #32 for Public Safety and National Security in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was information.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Raquel Dancho
You went on to write that the commissioner said you didn't understand—you mentioned this in your opening remarks as well—that this was tied to the pending gun control legislation. She, then, was specifically tying this to the government's legislative agenda. Is that correct?
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Raquel Dancho
She went against expert advice. She's also been a member of the RCMP for 30 years. She was aware that this was not to be released outside of the RCMP. She did release it to the government. Is my understanding correct?
C/Supt Darren Campbell
As I understand it now, it was released outside of the RCMP to government, which was contrary to the directions that were provided.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Raquel Dancho
Specifically, it was related to the pending gun control agenda of the government.
C/Supt Darren Campbell
I can't speak to that because I was never part of any of those conversations between government and the commissioner's office.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Raquel Dancho
Yes, but in the April 28 meeting she related those two; she tied them together.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Raquel Dancho
When the commissioner attended the committee a few weeks ago, she made it seem that that meeting was not so much about specifically this issue. It was just generally about unhappiness of communication with the Nova Scotia RCMP. How much of this meeting was about this gun control legislation and releasing the weapons information versus other things?
C/Supt Darren Campbell
Chair, if you refer to my notes, they also explain that I left the meeting at one point in time. I would say I was probably in that meeting for around a 20-minute period of time. The information during the period of time that I was actually in that meeting was only specific to the non-release of the firearms information. It did not include any other information related to any displeasure the commissioner had in terms of our communications. In fact, I would even say that I have emails from the commissioner recognizing the efforts that I had specifically made on April 24 where she references the Minister of Public Safety wanting to express his thanks for the information I had provided to the public.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Raquel Dancho
Would you be willing to table those for the committee, provide those emails to the committee?
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Raquel Dancho
Thank you very much.
With my remaining 30 seconds, Ms. Scanlan, who were you speaking with in the government, the public safety minister's office, the Prime Minister's Office? Can you provide the names of the individuals you were speaking with?
Director, Strategic Communications Unit, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
I wasn't speaking with anyone in those offices.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Raquel Dancho
Ms. Bradley, were you speaking with anyone in the public safety minister's office or the Prime Minister's Office? What were the names of those individuals?
Director, National Communication Services, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
I had no connection with anyone in the minister's office or the Prime Minister's Office.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Raquel Dancho
Who was the connection between Nova Scotia and the public safety minister's office? Was that solely Commissioner Lucki, then, to your knowledge? Ms. Whelan, do you have anything to add?
Chief Strategic Policy and External Relations Officer, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
No, sorry, I wasn't a party to those interactions.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Raquel Dancho
Thank you very much. That concludes my time.
We're going to go over now to the Liberal Party for the opening remarks. We have Ms. Damoff for six minutes.
Please go ahead, Ms. Damoff.
Liberal
Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON
Thank you.
I will start by again expressing my deepest sympathy to the Nova Scotia families about the shootings.
I also want to thank the witnesses who are here today and recognize that this is very difficult for each of you and it can be very triggering to be reliving what happened before us, so I want to sincerely thank each and every one of you for being here today.
Superintendent Campbell, you mentioned in your remarks that you were not part of any conversations with the government. Can you just clarify for us that you did not have any conversations with the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister's Office, Minister Blair or his staff?
C/Supt Darren Campbell
That's correct, Chair. I did not have any direct conversations with anyone from government on this issue.
Liberal
Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON
Thank you.
I imagine you've seen the testimony from both Minister Blair and Commissioner Lucki. Minister Blair indicated that he did not ask the commissioner to make any promises in terms of releasing the weapons that were used. Commissioner Lucki was also very clear that she had not made any promises to the government.
You heard their testimony when they appeared before us in July. Would it be fair to say that your interpretation was different from the commissioner's, Superintendent Campbell?