RCMP Assistant Chief Chris Leather is questioned by lawyer Michael Scott during the Mass Casualty Commission’s inquiry into the April 2020 mass killings in rural Nova Scotia July 28 in Halifax. Kelly Clark/The Canadian Press
A senior Mountie told a public inquiry Thursday that federal lawyers advised him not to disclose a call he received from the RCMP commissioner, which he said appeared to be motivated by a desire to use the Nova Scotia mass shooting to drum up support for liberal gun control measures.
Chief Superintendent Chris Leder, testifying for a second day, said he believes political considerations are behind RCMP Commissioner Brenda Luckey’s insistence that police release details about the weapons used in the April 2020 mass shooting that killed 22 people.
“That’s my impression,” he said under cross-examination by Tom McDonald, a lawyer representing the families of two victims.
The Mountie said he came to that conclusion after a conference call with Commissioner Lucky nine days after the rampage. In that call, the commissioner pressed the Nova Scotia RCMP to release details about the types of weapons the killer used, despite concerns they would compromise the investigation, according to RCMP Chief Superintendent Darren Campbell’s memos, which the inquiry made public in late June.
Chief Lt. Leder said the commissioner called him directly and pressed him to give her information about the guns just three days after the mass shooting and six days before the conference call. Emails followed on the same matter. The Mountie admitted that he did not share any of that discussion with the inquiry’s lawyers in a July 6, 2022, interview.
RCMP commander says ‘any interference’ in NS mass shooting investigation ‘unacceptable’
During cross-examination Thursday by Michael Scott, an attorney representing most of the victims’ families, Ch. Leder said he had not previously raised Commissioner Luckey’s call or emails with the inquiry at the time because lawyers from the federal Department of Justice had suggested in early July that he take a “reactive position”.
“The advice I received was not to proactively disclose the conversation and emails leading up to the April 28 meeting,” he testified.
“I knew from my notes and emails that I had prepared and sent that this was obviously related to what would become the infamous April 28 phone call and I was troubled by that and wanted their advice and was advised to take a reactive stance.” “
Opposition parties say the Liberals have tried to use the country’s worst mass shooting to further their legislative agenda and that the Justice Department has been reluctant to hand over politically damaging evidence requested by the Mass Casualties Commission. The lead attorney for the investigation said the Justice Department withheld the memos detailing the April 28, 2020 meeting for many months, despite a subpoena to share all relevant documents.
Lori Ward, a lawyer for the federal Department of Justice and the RCMP, told the inquiry Thursday that she believes there was a “misunderstanding” about the advice to the chief of the service. Skin not to reveal the call from the commissioner. She said she and another federal attorney believed he had a document related to the April 28, 2020, meeting that they should review because it may contain privileged information.
“At no point did we advise Mr. Leather not to talk about it and not to tell the truth,” she said.
Ms Ward said the document, which she did not describe in detail, would soon be revealed to the inquest.
Commissioner Luckey denied interfering with the police investigation. She testified to a House of Commons committee on Monday that she did not recall promising then public safety minister Bill Blair to reveal details of the weapons. She said she remembered using different words.
Chief Lt. Leder also addressed the criminal charges filed against Lisa Banfield, the wife of the shooter, Gabriel Wortman, who was accused of supplying him with ammunition. Those charges, laid in December 2020, were dismissed this week after Ms. Banfield completed Nova Scotia’s restorative justice program.
Mr Scott, the family lawyer, asked the Mountie if the allegations were intended to delay or obstruct the investigation. Rachel Young, the prosecuting attorney, suggested the charges could be seen as an attempt to prevent evidence being called because it would be protected while a court case is pending.
Chief Lt. Leder flatly denied this suggestion.
“The idea, even the sense, of impeding any agency is foreign to me,” he said.
The RCMP was aware that the inquest had just been convened, he testified, but that did not influence the decision to continue investigating evidence against Ms. Banfield.
“We would pursue this to the best of our ability unless we were directed to do otherwise, and there are very few sources that can provide that kind of direction to cause us to drop an investigation,” he said. “We certainly received no such recommendation or direction from any authority above us to do so.”
With a report from the Canadian Press
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