N.S. premier, federal minister criticize mass shooting inquiry on first day
CBC
As public hearings for the long-awaited mass shooting inquiry gets underway in Nova Scotia, provincial and federal politicians are blasting the commission for not being transparent with the families of victims who died.
In a news release issued before hearings began on Tuesday morning, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said he has heard from family members who have expressed "frustration and concern about the structure of the inquiry."
"They feel left in the dark. This is not only disrespectful, it should cause us all to pause and ask, if the families don't have confidence in the process, how can the public?" Houston said.
The premier's remarks echo the concerns of a number of people whose loved ones were killed on April 18-19, 2020, including Darcy Dobson, who lost her mother, Heather O'Brien, and Charlene Bagley, who lost her father, Tom Bagley.
The Mass Casualty Commission is a joint federal-provincial inquiry examining the deaths of 22 people, including a pregnant woman, who were killed by a gunman over a 13-hour period in the rural Nova Scotia communities of Portapique, Wentworth, Debert and Shubenacadie.
Both levels of government initially announced a review of the mass shooting, but quickly backtracked in July 2020 after families lobbied for an independent, public inquiry.
"The reason Nova Scotians pulled together and pushed for an inquiry as opposed to a review was to ensure that it was honest, comprehensive, detailed and most importantly, designed to answer questions," Houston said.
"Yet, it is still not even known if key witnesses have been subpoenaed to testify, if there will be an opportunity to cross-examine them or if it will be a comprehensive list of witnesses."
He said the uncertainty is causing further, unnecessary trauma. Houston is urging the Mass Casualty Commission to meet with families and their counsel to listen to their concerns and provide a "plan that gives them confidence in the process."
Federal cabinet minister and Central Nova MP Sean Fraser is also weighing in on how the inquiry is treating those most affected.
"After speaking to certain victims' family members directly to discuss their concerns, I called a meeting with the premier of Nova Scotia and the federal minister of public safety. We are united in our view that the families' confidence in this process remains a paramount consideration," Fraser wrote in a social media post on Tuesday morning.
Fraser said he will work to ensure that federal and provincial leaders are aware of "each and every concern" going forward.
In his opening remarks, chief commissioner Michael MacDonald addressed concerns about the perceived lack of transparency.
"Some people are concerned about the commission's independence, believing we may be susceptible to covering up for either the RCMP or government. Let me assure you, nothing could be further from the truth," MacDonald said.
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