Bill Blair at the Public Safety and National Security Committee

On October 31st, 2022. See this statement in context.

October 31st, 2022 / 4 p.m.

Liberal

Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON

I absolutely believe that is not true.

Under subsection 5(1) of the RCMP Act, there is only one person in the government of Canada who has any authority to provide direction to the RCMP. That's the Minister of Public Safety, which is a role that I held at the time. In that role, I did not at any time give direction.

That's confirmed, in my opinion, by Commissioner Lucki's testimony, both before this committee and before the Mass Casualty Commission, in which she was very explicit and under oath. She said she received no direction from any member of the government, including myself.

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