Mendicino says he's 'dealt with' internal information 'breakdown' over Bernardo transfer

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino could not say Thursday why he was not aware earlier about plans to transfer notorious serial rapist and convicted killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security prison, after it was revealed his office and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office knew for months, without informing either politician.

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino could not say Thursday why he was not aware earlier about plans to transfer notorious serial rapist and convicted killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security prison, after it was revealed his office and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office knew for months, without informing either politician.

Speaking to reporters amid the fallout, the minister said he’s "dealt with" the "breakdown in information flow," within his office but would not say if anyone on his team will be reprimanded as a result, or what his staff's explanation was for why he was kept in the dark in the first place.

"It is very clear that I should have been briefed at the time, and that is something that I made abundantly clear to my staff," Mendicino said Thursday. "I've taken the corrective steps to ensure that that does not happen again."

As it has come to light over the last two days, Mendicino's office was first informed of Bernardo's potential transfer from a maximum-security prison to a medium-security prison through what his office has described as "generic communications products" on March 2.

This came after the minister's office was informed by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) about the possible move, requesting further information.

Then, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) said it sent a follow-up email to the minister's office on May 25, four days before Bernardo's May 29 transfer from Ontario to Quebec. Trudeau was informed that day, but Mendicino wasn't looped in until May 30, at which time he said he was "profoundly concerned and shocked"

"What's important is that these issues are identified and they're corrected and so that is what I have done with my team," Mendicino said. "It is important that I get those briefings in a timely manner."