Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino doubled down Wednesday on what he knew about Paul Bernardo’s transfer amid resignation calls from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Poilievre demanded Mendicino step down after the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) revealed it alerted the minister’s office months before the notorious rapist and serial killer was moved to a medium-security prison.
The CSC told Global News Wednesday it contacted Mendicino’s office by email on March 2 to inform them that Bernardo would be transferred from Millhaven Institution, a maximum-security penitentiary near Kingston, Ont. A transfer date hadn’t been determined at that time.
CSC then followed up with the minister’s office on May 25, telling them Bernardo would be transferred on May 29. News of the transfer made headlines on June 2.
CBC News was first to report the development Wednesday. The minister’s office told the outlet it did not tell Mendicino about Bernardo’s transfer until May 30 – the day after the transfer happened.
Poilievre claimed Wednesday that Mendicino has “lied” to Canadians too many times.
“These are too many lies,” he said. “It’s one lie too many. It is time for Marco Mendicino to resign.”
Mendicino said during question period Wednesday he was informed on May 30 and that “corrective steps” have been taken within his office. He also said he issued new directives to the CSC for families and the public safety minister to be notified directly before transfers like Bernardo’s happen.
“I have also made it clear to my staff that this should have been briefed immediately. Corrective steps have been taken,” Mendicino said.
“I have dealt with it and we will now always defend the rights of victims. The honorable leader of the opposition.”
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Bernardo, 58, has been serving a life sentence for the kidnappings, tortures and murders of teenagers Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy in the early 1990s. He and his then-wife Karla Homolka also killed her younger sister, Tammy Homolka.
News of the transfer caused an uproar.
Tim Danson, a lawyer for the victims’ families, said it was unacceptable that the prison service refused to answer questions about the reason for Bernardo’s move or details of his custody conditions, citing his privacy rights.
Mendicino said on June 5 the CSC would review the transfer. That review should be completed “within a few weeks,” the CSC told Global News on Tuesday.
A government official previously told Global News the CSC provided Mendicino with a heads-up of the transfer, but the decision was independent and since transfers are not typically public information, they were not in a position to comment before June 2.
Trudeau said Mendicino would have more to say Wednesday and that he has been reaching out to the CSC not only with questions on how the transfer happened, but what the government can share with Canadians about it and to make sure “the system is working properly as we move forward.”
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called the revelation “shocking,” and claimed there’s a “culture in this government where multiple ministers have had serious allegations of not properly reading emails.”
“Removing a minister isn’t the solution. This is a government that’s got to be held accountable. They’ve got to do something to clean up their house,” he said.