PUBLIC Safety Minister Bill Blair said in a statement on Tuesday: ““We have heard calls from families, survivors, advocates and Nova Scotia members of Parliament for more transparency. The government of Canada is now proceeding with a full public inquiry [into the April 18-19 massacre in Nova Scotia].”
This came hours after Nova Scotia Justice Minister Mark Furey said: ““If the federal government agrees to a joint public inquiry where federal agencies including the RCMP, Canada Border Services Agency, Criminal Intelligence Services Canada, Canadian Firearms Registry and the Public Alert Ready System will participate and offer testimony, I will support that and so will our government.”
Previously, federal and provincial officials had announced only a formal review that would not have been able to compel witnesses to testify. The RCMP has been criticized for the manner in which it handled the mass murder in which 22 people were killed by a gunman.