Senators call for inquiry into N.S. shootings
‘Everyone is eager for an announcement’
HALIFAX — A large number of Canadian senators are renewing the call for a government inquiry into the mass murder that took place in Nova Scotia.
On Saturday, a new letter was released signed by a group of 37 members of the Upper Chamber from across the country, on the three-month anniversary of the shootings in Portapique and the central region of the province.
This latest request follows letters signed by three Nova Scotia senators on June 7 and five on June 29 to federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair and Nova Scotia’s attorney general and Minister of Justice Mark Furey expressing the pressing need for a joint federal-provincial inquiry.
“It’s not historically common for such a huge number of senators from across the country to raise their voice in common about an issue,” said Sen. Stan Kutcher following the letter’s release on Saturday. “I think that says a lot.”
The letter continues the call for a comprehensive and fully transparent process to address all the complex aspects of the massacre, as well as the ongoing questions and concerns held by Nova Scotians and Canadians.
It is signed by Nova Scotia senators Kutcher, Wanda Bernard, Mary Coyle, Colin Deacon and Stephen Greene, along with 32 other Senate signatories.
Kutcher said he and his fellow senators feel that the longer the wait, the greater its negative effect will be on families and friends of the victims who are waiting for answers. He also believes that it further erodes public trust in those responsible for public safety.
“It’s been three months since this event, and that’s an awfully long time,” he said. “The problem is when you wait this long without a clear signal that an open, transparent and joint inquiry is going to happen, all sorts of speculation starts to happen, all sorts of gossip and innuendo starts to happen, and that’s not helpful to anybody.”
In early June, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau committed to working with the province on setting up a larger review, while Blair assured the Senate chamber on June 25 that work towards launching an inquiry was ongoing.
In an emailed statement following the June 29 letter, Furey said the provincial department of justice is actively engaged with the federal government on the matter.
“I know everyone is eager for an announcement to be made — especially the families,” he said in the statement. “The families will hear from us first, before we make a public announcement.”
Recipients of the call to action now also include attorney general of Canada and Minister of Justice David Lametti, Canadian Minister for Women and Gender Equality Maryam Monsef and Kelly Regan, Nova Scotia’s minister responsible for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women Act, to ensure that a feminist lens can be applied to the process to better understand and address the events of April 18 and 19.
“In closing, we, senators from Nova Scotia are now joined by senators from across Canada, to continue the call for urgent action on a joint public inquiry into the April mass shootings and related events,” ends the letter.
“We feel sad that it’s come to a third request,” said Kutcher, adding that he and his fellow senators felt strongly that urging the federal and provincial governments to launch the inquiry comes under their mandate to represent their province and the interests of its people.
“We also have a responsibility to represent those across the country who are marginalized and vulnerable. And when you put those two things together, what you’re seeing here is ... this is a large group of senators, and they’re coast-to-coast-to-coast.”